After the falling out between Musk and Trump, Musk threatened to retire the "Dragon spacecraft" immediately, while Trump publicly threatened on social media to cancel all SpaceX's contract orders. The situation between the two is gradually escalating towards a complete breakdown.

(Musk and Trump have long been at odds)

In recent days, Musk's sudden threat to cut off rocket launch services and manned spaceflight services to NASA and the Pentagon has caused intense concern within U.S. space and national security agencies. Since the Department of Defense and NASA rely heavily on SpaceX for their launch missions, Musk's interruption would mean that the U.S. would be unable to send any personnel or supplies to the International Space Station in the short term, and many pending payloads for the Pentagon would face suspension risks.

Even more alarming to the Department of Defense and NASA is the fact that SpaceX's dominant position in the domestic launch market makes it impossible for other domestic providers to meet demand in the short term. Simply put, the White House and the Pentagon have no viable backup options due to the significant gap in capabilities. After Musk's threat to retire the "Dragon spacecraft," Pentagon technical officials were visibly concerned, as his decision actually indicates "the situation is spiraling out of control."

(Trump has stated he is unwilling to continue engaging with Musk)

In fact, Trump's latest remarks indicate that Musk's future will be very dangerous. On June 7, Trump told NBC in an exclusive interview that he believed his relationship with Musk had ended after their ultimate falling out. If Musk dares to side against the Trump administration and assist its opponents, he will face serious consequences.

It is worth noting that just as Trump made the above statement and issued a veiled warning to Musk, Musk deleted all articles and social media statements accusing Trump in the early hours of June 7 (local time). This move was unusual because Musk has never had such a large-scale "self-correction" before. However, Trump's threat seemed to have made Musk realize the seriousness of the situation.

According to external analysis of Trump's recent remarks regarding their relationship, Trump seems to have given up on the possibility of reconciling with Musk. Trump believes that Musk's remarks were made without careful consideration, and his hasty words have destroyed the foundation of trust between them. As the saying goes, "The gentleman is guided by righteousness, and the small person is guided by profit." Some analysts believe that these two individuals allied due to profit, but such alliances based on self-interest cannot last long. They have completely fallen out within half a year due to huge profit disputes, severing all ties. However, this farce has profoundly affected domestic politics in the United States, and its aftermath is only beginning.

The Pentagon believes that the excessive reliance on SpaceX indicates that Musk will be excluded from key defense projects in the U.S. military. According to AP reports, since 2002, SpaceX has received at least $24 billion in regular contracts from NASA and the Pentagon.

(The trust crisis is Musk's biggest problem)

Analysts believe that with Trump's order to withdraw his nomination of Jared Isaacman for the position of NASA administrator, the conflict between Musk and Trump has been fully exposed. Jared Isaacman is a key ally of Musk in the industry. Trump's withdrawal of the nomination means that SpaceX will likely find it difficult to secure Pentagon contracts in the future. Former NASA officials believe that Musk's comments on social media have "crossed the line." Personal quarrels with Trump should not lead to threats to retire the "Dragon spacecraft," as this involves Musk's greatest interest.

American analysts believe that although Musk later retracted his remarks about retiring the "Dragon spacecraft," he still threatened to reduce the frequency of "Dragon spacecraft" services provided to NASA. This actually means that SpaceX will lose NASA's trust entirely, as it is almost equivalent to Musk publicly declaring a ban on the International Space Station.

(Musk faces重重crises in the future)

At the same time, the consequences of Musk's impulsive actions go far beyond simply retracting his statements. Pentagon decision-makers expressed surprise at Musk's sudden "non-cooperation" stance, especially concerning several major military technology projects of U.S. defense research units, including the U.S. low-orbit communication satellite system, the "Starlink" internet system, and the "Gold Dome" missile defense system. These could all be held hostage due to Musk's reckless remarks. Therefore, SpaceX will face unprecedented crises in the coming years.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513532005464900130/

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