The contest over America’s space leadership spilled into public view this week as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and acting NASA administrator and transportation Secretary Sean Duffy exchanged words on social media platform X.
The feud intensified after Duffy announced plans to open NASA contracts for the Artemis lunar program to rival companies, challenging Musk’s SpaceX, which has held the $2.9 billion lunar lander contract since 2021.
Duffy told CNBC that SpaceX’s Starship development is behind schedule, raising concerns that the Artemis III moon landing could be delayed to 2028 under current projections.
“We’re not going to wait for one company,” he said. “We’re going to push this forward and win the second space race against the Chinese.
Duffy also hinted at proposals to fold NASA into the department of transportation, though NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens clarified that he never said he intends to keep the job.
Musk responded with a series of posts attacking Duffy. He first replied to Duffy’s post with a GIF meme of a famous exchange in which an African anchor asked a guest, “Why are you gae?” before escalating further.
In one, Musk wrote, “The person responsible for America’s space program can’t have a 2 digit IQ,” while in another, he mocked Duffy’s history as a competitive tree climber, posting a poll asking, “Should someone whose biggest claim to fame is climbing trees be running America’s space program?”
Musk further claimed Duffy was “trying to kill NASA” and described any plan to fold the agency into the Transportation Department as a catastrophic mistake that could undermine US dominance in space.
The spat recalls past tensions when President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to head NASA.
Isaacman, who previously flew SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission, was widely regarded by Musk as the most qualified candidate for the role.
Trump instead appointed Duffy, a former Republican congressman, reality TV personality from The Real World: Boston, and competitive lumberjack.
Musk has repeatedly defended Isaacman as “literally the most qualified and best person to be the new head of NASA.”
Duffy, however, has kept his focus on accelerating Artemis and fostering competition.
“Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON. Great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge. When our innovators compete with each other, America wins,” he posted on X, responding to Musk’s criticism.
NASA is expected to soon issue a formal request for companies to present faster moon lander concepts for Artemis III, with SpaceX and Blue Origin among the bidders.
The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon, establish a permanent base on the lunar surface, and serve as a stepping stone for future Mars missions.
SpaceX won its initial contract in 2021, but repeated delays have pushed the timeline. While the next crewed lunar flyby, originally set for 2025, is now planned for April 2026, the first landing on the Moon’s south polar region is expected in 2027.
Duffy has warned that China’s own plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 pose a serious challenge to US space leadership.
Musk has insisted that SpaceX remains far ahead of competitors. In response to a user, he said, “They won’t. SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry.”
