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Last Updated:June 06, 2025, 07:54 IST
SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently the only US spacecraft certified to carry crew to the ISS under a contract worth more than $4.9 billion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (Photo Credits via Instagram)
Elon Musk announced on Thursday that SpaceX will no longer move forward with plans to decommission its Dragon spacecraft, reversing a statement made just hours earlier amid his intensifying feud with US President Donald Trump.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk had initially said on Thursday that he would begin “decommissioning" the company’s Dragon spacecraft — essential for transporting NASA astronauts to and from the Space Station — following President Donald Trump’s threat to terminate federal contracts with his companies. However, Musk later reversed course, confirming that the spacecraft will remain in operation.
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," Musk wrote on X.
The remarks followed the dramatic collapse of a nearly year-long political alliance between Trump and Musk, marked by a series of public insults exchanged on social media.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon — a gumdrop-shaped capsule launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket and recovered via ocean splashdown — remains the only U.S. spacecraft currently certified to transport astronauts to the Space Station, under a contract valued at over Rs 4.9 billion.
A variant of the spacecraft, known as Cargo Dragon, is used to transport supplies to the Space Station, as its name implies.
In response to Musk’s announcement, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens stated on X that the agency would “continue to execute upon the President’s vision for the future of space."
“We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President’s objectives in space are met," she added.
NASA has also been working to certify Boeing’s Starliner for crewed missions, but the program has encountered significant delays.
Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...Read More
Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...
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News world Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Will Stay: Here's Why He Changed His Mind
