Overview

• President Trump called for terminating SpaceX’s government subsidies and contracts to save billions in the federal budget.
• Elon Musk initially announced he would decommission the Dragon spacecraft in response to Trump’s remarks but later retracted that threat.
• SpaceX’s Dragon capsule remains NASA’s only current means of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
• Analysts warn that retiring Dragon without a ready replacement could compromise ISS safety and prevent a controlled deorbit.
• SpaceX is simultaneously developing its Starship vehicle to support planned missions to the Moon and eventual Mars colonization.