Could Musk-Trump feud affect Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space mission?
What's the story
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, briefly announced plans to decommission the Dragon spacecraft. The decision came in the wake of a public dispute with US President Donald Trump over federal contracts. The Crew Dragon is essential for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). It is scheduled to launch Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on a 14-day mission with Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) on June 10. However, Musk's announcement has raised concerns over the mission's fate.
Mission impact
How Musk's row with Trump began
The spat began when Musk criticized a major spending bill supported by Trump's administration, calling it an "abomination." In response, Trump suggested that cutting Musk's government contracts could save the US billions. Musk quickly responded to Trump's remarks by announcing on X that SpaceX would start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft. Despite the political turmoil, Musk has now retracted his decision to decommission the spacecraft. He said in response to an X post, "Good advice. Ok, we won't decommission Dragon."
Twitter Post
Musk retracts his plan after backlash
Good advice.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2025
Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon.
Decision reversal
A relief for the scientific community
The Ax-4 mission has already been delayed twice, from May 29 to June 8 and then to June 10, due to several factors. Potential delays in the mission could have affected planned microgravity experiments. Musk's latest statement is a relief for the scientific community. The decision could have otherwise caused major disruptions to ISS operations, leaving Russia's Soyuz as the sole crewed transport option. It also risked jeopardizing more than $22 billion in contracts involving SpaceX, NASA, and the Pentagon.
Mission update
Ax-4 mission on track, launch pad ready
As of now, the Ax-4 mission remains on track despite the political fallout. The four astronauts for this mission, including Shubhanshu Shukla, are in protocol quarantine. Their Dragon spacecraft has already reached its launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. This marks a major milestone in US-India space collaboration as Shukla will be India's second astronaut to space (after Rakesh Sharma) and the first to visit the ISS.