NASA Chief and Elon Musk Clash Over Future of US Space Leadership
Acting NASA chief Sean Duffy and billionaire Elon Musk exchanged sharp remarks online on Tuesday over who should lead the US space agency. The dispute came a day after Duffy said NASA would invite more companies to compete with Musk’s SpaceX for a future moon landing mission.
Online Spat Over NASA’s Direction
The disagreement became public when Musk responded to reports suggesting Duffy wanted to move NASA under the Transportation Department, which Duffy currently heads. On social media platform X, Musk posted, “The person responsible for America’s space program can’t have a 2 digit IQ.” His comment followed Duffy’s interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” where Duffy criticised SpaceX’s Starship project for falling behind schedule.
NASA Seeks Broader Competition
Duffy announced that NASA will open the Artemis moon mission contract to more bidders. SpaceX won the mission in 2021, but Duffy said the agency needs to speed up its plans to return humans to the Moon and outpace China’s growing space ambitions. A NASA spokeswoman confirmed Duffy’s commitment to maintaining US leadership in space exploration. She clarified that while Duffy mentioned the idea of NASA joining the Cabinet, he never said he intended to keep the role permanently.
SpaceX and Musk Hold Their Ground
Neither Musk nor SpaceX offered official comments following the exchange. However, Musk continued to defend SpaceX’s record, asserting on X that Starship will “end up doing the whole Moon mission.” Duffy replied, “Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON,” adding that “great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge.”
The exchange highlights growing tensions between the government and private space firms as the race to the Moon intensifies.
with inputs from Reuters
