Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, launched a scathing tirade against acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy following his announcement that he would open up the Artemis III lunar lander contract to SpaceX competitors. Musk criticized Duffy’s qualifications and questioned his understanding of the space program in a series of social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) and by forwarding user comments.
Musk questions Duffy’s intelligence
Musk mocked Duffy’s abilities, asking his followers in a poll: “Should someone whose biggest claim to fame is climbing trees be running the US space program?”
He went on to directly criticize Duffy: “Having a NASA administrator who knows literally ZERO about rockets and spacecraft undermines America’s space program and endangers our astronauts.”
In another post, Musk insisted: “The person in charge of America’s space program cannot have a double-digit IQ.”
Musk highlights SpaceX’s achievements
Highlighting SpaceX’s superiority over rivals like Blue Origin, Musk shared the stats in a repost: “Days since last orbital launch by Blue Origin: 274. Days since last orbital launch by SpaceX: 0. Total launches to orbit by Blue Origin: 1. Total launches to orbit by SpaceX: 560. Total missions to orbit by crew: 0 crew per orbit total: 0 crew per orbit SpaceX: 18”.
He argued that other commercial space companies can’t match SpaceX’s speed or capabilities: “SpaceX moves like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry. Plus, Starship will finish the entire mission to the moon. Take note.”
Reposting support for alternative leadership
Musk shared posts supporting Jared Isaacman as the better choice to lead NASA, contrasting him with Duffy: “Lobbying against Jared Isaacman, literally the most qualified and best person to be the new head of NASA, is so stupid. You can’t hate politics enough. Jared as NASA head would be great for America.”
He also forwarded messages criticizing Duffy’s appointment, with one user writing: “Duffy wanting to kill NASA’s role as an independent agency seems like a particularly bad choice at this point. We need someone other than Duffy.”
Duffy responds to Musk
Responding to Musk’s criticism, Duffy remained measured, tweeting: “Love the passion. The race to the moon is ON. Big companies should not be afraid of the challenge. When our innovators compete together, America wins!”
Musk’s remarks underscore growing tensions between SpaceX and NASA leadership amid delays in the Starship program and the agency’s efforts to diversify its lunar landing module options to stay ahead of the U.S.-China space race.
NASA opens moon landing contract to SpaceX-delayed competitors
NASA interim chief Duffy announced Monday that he will open the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander to competing companies as the agency works to return astronauts to the lunar surface before China achieves its own manned lunar mission.
Duffy said the decision was aimed at ensuring the US remains competitive in the increasingly tense space race with China.
“We’re not going to wait for one company,” Duffy said on CNBC. “We’re going to push it forward and win the second space race against the Chinese.”
He emphasized that the Artemis III mission, currently scheduled for 2027, is a priority for the Trump administration: “We are eager to have astronauts back on the moon during President Trump’s second term,” he added.
SpaceX’s starship faces delays
NASA originally planned to use SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket system to land astronauts on the moon. SpaceX won the contract for the Artemis III mission in 2021.
However, the Starship program has seen delays and a series of explosive tests this year, prompting NASA to explore alternatives.
Blue Origin and other rivals in the mix
Duffy emphasized that other American companies can now compete for the mission: “Great companies like Blue Origin have the technology that could contribute to this mission,” he said, referring to the space launch company founded by Jeff Bezos.
China’s own lunar ambitions amplify this urgency. Earth plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and has already sent two robotic rovers to the lunar surface while testing a new manned rocket.
Read also | NASA may open up Artemis contract to other companies as SpaceX faces delays: Duffy
