As the relationship between Musk and Trump becomes increasingly tense, several key projects at the Pentagon have also experienced a chain reaction, with multiple critical projects being suspended, seemingly aiming to completely cut off all affairs related to Musk.

(The tension between Musk and Trump has led the Pentagon to suspend multiple military plans)

1. Cold War escalates, military orders for SpaceX are continuously cut

According to the information, the Pentagon has quietly put multiple military space projects on hold, and these projects are all labeled as SpaceX.

It goes without saying that SpaceX holds a "top-tier" position in the U.S. military aerospace system. From transporting secret satellites to launching the X-37B spaceplane, SpaceX has almost taken over all of the U.S. military's "unspoken secrets." In 2024, 87% of the U.S. aerospace launch missions were handled by SpaceX, a monopoly that even Boeing had to bow to. But this "dominant position" has made Washington politicians uneasy.

The most notable is the "rocket freight" project that was urgently halted. This project, which can be described as "science fiction coming into reality," was planning to use SpaceX's Starship rocket to deliver 85 tons of supplies to any corner of the world within an hour.

(SpaceX once envisioned achieving a "one-hour global transport circle" through Starship)

Imagine that a tank in Florida in the morning could be at the frontline in the Taiwan Strait for lunch, this transportation efficiency is a complete downgrading of traditional air transport. But one lawsuit from environmental organizations brought this $102 million project to a sudden halt.

2. The U.S. military wants to fight a "space logistics war," but is intercepted by environmental organizations

The U.S. military's idea of "rocket freight" is essentially to turn the Earth into a "same-day delivery" express battlefield. This crazy idea can be traced back to the 1960s - at that time, the Pentagon was thinking about putting hundreds of soldiers into rockets, but the technology wasn't up to par, rockets often exploded, and the plan had to be put in the file cabinet to gather dust.

It wasn't until Musk introduced his "Starship" that the U.S. military finally saw hope. This thing has a near-Earth orbit capacity of 100 tons, it can be reused, and the cost is low, making it a perfect fit for "global express."

(Environmental organizations strongly oppose building a launch site on Johnston Atoll)

But the problem is: where do you launch rockets? So they targeted Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean - a remote, safe place under U.S. jurisdiction, and historically a "veteran" for nuclear tests and missile tests. But environmental organizations didn't like it, saying rocket launches would damage coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

It's funny that when the military used to conduct nuclear explosions and store chemical weapons there, no one came out to oppose. Now, when SpaceX wants to launch rockets, environmental organizations suddenly "awakened?"

More intriguing is that the day the U.S. military suspended the rocket freight project coincided with Musk announcing the establishment of the "American Party." This "coincidence" seems too deliberate - after Trump and Musk had a falling out, SpaceX's military orders began to be "targeted," making it hard not to associate it with political maneuvering.

3. SpaceX monopolizes the U.S. military satellite network, Congress is jumping up and down

If the rocket freight project was just blocked by "environmental" issues, then SpaceX's position in the U.S. "Gold Dome" missile defense system is really touching too many people's interests.

(Musk's "Starlink" project has almost taken over most of the U.S. military's commercial satellite contracts)

This $175 billion "space shield" system is centered around a dense network of satellites in low Earth orbit - they are responsible for communication, navigation, missile warning, and even directly directing the interception of hypersonic weapons. And SpaceX's "Starlink" and "Starshield" satellite constellations have almost taken over most of the commercial satellite contracts for the Space Force, making the major defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman envious.

Senator Koons fired a shot: "The Pentagon actually cut the third batch of satellite projects and replaced them with a secret project called MILNET - and it's exclusively contracted to SpaceX! Isn't this clearly a monopoly?" More dramatically, the current U.S. Air Force Secretary Mainzer was exposed to have had close relations with Musk in the past, suspected of "letting go" in the bidding. Soon, accusations of "official-business collusion" and "technological blackmail" arose.

But the question is - although they complain, can the military get away from SpaceX? In 2024, out of 158 total U.S. space launches, SpaceX alone handled 138, even the secret X-37B spaceplane was sent into space by it. Competitors? Amazon's "Kuiper Project" is still in the PowerPoint stage, and Boeing's "Vulcan" rocket's first flight exploded. If the United States really wants to distance itself from Musk, then in the coming period, multiple projects may face a long-term gap.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525406711197352482/

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