Musk Says SpaceX Will Retire Dragon After Trump’s Threats

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has announced the company will begin phasing out its Crew Dragon spacecraft following statements by Donald Trump suggesting he may cancel all government contracts with Musk’s businesses.

The billionaire shared the update via his X account:

The announcement comes in response to Trump’s remarks, in which the former president floated the idea of cutting all subsidies and contracts with Musk as a cost-saving measure.

Crew Dragon is SpaceX’s flagship crewed spacecraft, designed to carry up to seven people. It has been in use since a 2014 contract with NASA and is currently the only alternative to Russia’s Soyuz for transporting astronauts to the ISS.

Tensions between Trump and Musk escalated after the president refused to appoint Musk ally Jared Isaacman as head of NASA. Musk also publicly criticized a Republican tax bill, intensifying the standoff. In response, Trump threatened to review all financial ties with Musk’s businesses — prompting the entrepreneur to announce the suspension of one of his core space programs.