SpaceX founder Elon Musk has announced that his company will begin shutting down its Dragon spacecraft operations, following a dramatic fallout with U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk made the declaration via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, citing the President’s warning about canceling government contracts with SpaceX.
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,” Musk wrote.
This move brings a sudden end to what had been a politically beneficial relationship between Musk and Trump. Their partnership, which once appeared strong, has unraveled quickly in recent days through a string of online disputes. The exchanges have become personal and bitter, marking a serious shift in tone from both men.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, developed by SpaceX and introduced in 2020, is currently the only U.S.-built vehicle certified to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It has played a major role in America’s space program, especially after NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011. A separate model, known as Cargo Dragon, has been handling supply missions to the ISS.
The Dragon program has been operating under a NASA contract valued at more than $4.9 billion. Musk’s announcement raises concerns about the future of U.S. space travel, especially as the alternative—Boeing’s Starliner—has yet to complete a successful mission with crew aboard.
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens responded to the news by reaffirming NASA’s commitment to the government’s space goals. “We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President’s objectives in space are met,” she posted on X.
The Boeing Starliner has faced numerous delays, including a failed test flight last year that ended with propulsion issues. That mission was cut short, and the two astronauts involved had to be rescued using a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The 2020 certification of Crew Dragon had helped end the U.S. reliance on Russian Soyuz capsules for human spaceflight. Despite recent tensions, the U.S. and Russia still maintain a mutual seat-sharing deal for transporting astronauts to the ISS.
Crew Dragon has also supported private missions. Its latest, Fram2, completed a polar orbit tour. Another launch, the Axiom-4 mission, is planned for Tuesday. That flight will carry astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to the ISS—possibly one of the last crewed missions using Dragon if Musk follows through on his plan.
