Elon Musk's Security Clearance Limits Access to SpaceX's Classified Work

Musk's top-secret clearance excludes him from sensitive SpaceX projects, with concerns over drug use and foreign contacts influencing the decision.

Elon Musk holds a top-secret clearance but is restricted from accessing SpaceX's most classified projects, including its spy satellite program, StarShield.
SpaceX lawyers advised against pursuing a higher clearance for Musk due to potential risks tied to his past drug use and interactions with foreign officials.
Musk's clearance process faced delays after his 2018 marijuana use on Joe Rogan's podcast, despite his later compliance with random drug testing requested by NASA.
Approximately 400 SpaceX employees have access to sensitive compartmented information, and a smaller group can access special access programs, unlike Musk.
Musk's role in the incoming Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency could grant him direct access to classified information if authorized by the president.