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Musk says SpaceX will decommission Dragon spacecraft after Trump threat
On June 5, 2025, Elon Musk announced that SpaceX would start retiring its Dragon spacecraft following disputes with President Trump regarding government contract funding.
The dispute stemmed from Trump's threats to cancel SpaceX contracts and subsidies to save billions, causing tension between the two since their May 30 Oval Office meeting.
SpaceX's Dragon currently serves as the sole U.S. crew transport to the ISS and supports NASA missions, while Starship, undergoing tests, aims to succeed Dragon for lunar missions.
In response to the President’s announcement about terminating his government agreements, Musk announced on X that SpaceX would start retiring its Dragon spacecraft right away.
Decommissioning Dragon could halt U.S.-based astronaut launches and impact NASA operations during peak ISS activity, raising concerns about future U.S. spaceflight capabilities.
The most influential and richest Americans have become embroiled in a high-profile dispute that could have disastrous consequences for the American space program.