SOFTENING TONE: Musk backpedals on threat to decommission SpaceX craft

June 6, 2025

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From Fox Business: Amid a bitter public feud with President Donald Trump on Thursday, business tycoon Elon Musk announced that SpaceX would start “decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,” only to reverse course hours later.

Musk made the initial announcement about decommissioning Dragon after President Donald Trump issued a post on Truth Social declaring, “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

Musk fired back in a post on X, “In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”

Musk’s sudden threat to cancel it came only a few hours after SpaceX had just announced earlier on Thursday, “Dragon arrives at the hangar at pad 39A in Florida ahead of its first flight. Falcon 9 is targeted to launch Dragon and @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 crew to the @Space_Station next Tuesday, June 10.”

Dragon arrives at the hangar at pad 39A in Florida ahead of its first flight. Falcon 9 is targeted to launch Dragon and @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 crew to the @Space_Station next Tuesday, June 10 pic.twitter.com/grW77raeD0

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 5, 2025

After Musk’s threat to decommission Dragon, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens wrote, “NASA will 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.”

NASA will 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.

— Bethany Stevens (@NASASpox) June 5, 2025

X user @Fab25june chided Musk over his threat, writing, “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days.”

This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days.

— Alaska (@Fab25june) June 6, 2025

Musk conceded, “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.”

Good advice.

Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2025

Political contributor Allen Mashburn wrote to Musk, “Ok. We need you both in the game— politics is a contact sport. Don’t think the rest of America isn’t as disgusted as you are? We just don’t have the resources and amplification you have. Breathe bro. We need each other. We need you.”

Ok. We need you both in the game— politics is a contact sport.

Don’t think the rest of America isn’t as disgusted as you are? We just don’t have the resources and amplification you have.

Breathe bro. We need each other. We need you.

— Allen Mashburn (@Mashburn4NC) June 6, 2025

In a softened tone, Musk later responded to an image of the American flag and a SpaceX launch.

“🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Team America 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸,” he wrote.