NASA and Pentagon officials have taken swift action to urge competitors of Elon Musk‘s SpaceX, including Jeff Bezos‘s Blue Origin, to expedite the development of alternative rockets and spacecraft following the public feud between President Donald Trump and Musk.
What Happened: The government officials were taken aback by Musk’s response to Trump’s threat. Musk, in turn, threatened to cease flying its Dragon spacecraft, a critical component of NASA’s astronaut transportation to the International Space Station. Although Musk later retracted this threat, it caused significant concern among NASA and Pentagon officials, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Following the public disagreement, government officials have approached commercial space companies, including Rocket Lab, Stoke Space and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, to inquire about the readiness of their rockets for government missions.
During Trump’s first term, he frequently criticized the Bezos-owned Washington Post. However, in March, Trump praised Bezos’ move to make significant changes with the Washington Post and said, ‘He’s trying to do a real job.’
SpaceX, a major recipient of government contracts, is responsible for transporting astronauts and cargo to the ISS, launching Pentagon satellites, and developing intelligence agency satellites. The growing tension between Musk and Trump intensified after the White House withdrew Musk-ally, Jared Isaacman‘s nomination for NASA administrator.
Why It Matters: This recent development underscores the potential impact of political tensions on the space industry. It also highlights the increasing competition in the sector, with companies like Blue Origin making significant strides in their space exploration efforts. Just recently, Blue Origin unveiled a new vehicle for lunar and Martian missions, further cementing its position as a key player in the industry.
Bezos’ Blue Origin has been a key player in the space industry, competing directly with SpaceX. Bezos has also made moves in the satellite internet market, launching the first operational satellites for his ambitious Project Kuiper, which directly challenges Musk’s Starlink.
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Meanwhile, Bezos has been making efforts to improve his relationship with Trump, a move that could potentially impact Amazon‘s AMZN sprawling business. The Amazon founder appears to be seeking a reset by visiting Mar-a-Lago, contributing $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and reportedly signing a $40 million documentary deal with First Lady Melania Trump.
Benzinga’s Edge Rankings place Amazon in the 70th percentile for quality and the 97th percentile for growth, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here.
Tesla TSLA stock plunged 14.09% over the last five days, possibly due to Elon Musk’s departure from the White House and his ongoing feud with President Trump.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
