Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
SpaceX is no stranger to public debates over how much it relies on government funding. Some critics argue that without NASA, the company’s biggest rocket programs would never have left the drawing board. That narrative has been gaining traction, especially with political pressure heating up. But just before Starship’s Flight 10, Elon Musk made a statement that not only pushed back hard against these claims but also left NASA facing uncomfortable questions. To understand why, we need to look closely at the events and numbers behind the headlines.
In early June, Musk publicly voiced concerns about new federal budget cuts and tax changes announced by former President Donald Trump. The response from Trump was sharp: he threatened to end federal contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, saying it would save billions in government spending. On his social media platform, Trump claimed that cutting contracts and subsidies for Musk would be the quickest way to reduce costs.
The threat wasn’t small. SpaceX currently has about $22 billion in active government contracts. Around $15 billion of that comes from NASA for a mix of work, from regular Falcon 9 missions to building the Starship Human Landing System that NASA plans to use for its Artemis moon landings later this decade. Another $5 billion comes from NASA’s Crew and Cargo Dragon services for the International Space Station. The remaining $7 billion is tied to Department of Defense work, such as launching national security satellites, providing military-grade Starlink internet, and carrying out classified missions.
SpaceX is no stranger to public debates over how much it relies on government funding. Some critics argue that without NASA, the company’s biggest rocket programs would never have left the drawing board. That narrative has been gaining traction, especially with political pressure heating up. But just before Starship’s Flight 10, Elon Musk made a statement that not only pushed back hard against these claims but also left NASA facing uncomfortable questions. To understand why, we need to look closely at the events and numbers behind the headlines.
In early June, Musk publicly voiced concerns about new federal budget cuts and tax changes announced by former President Donald Trump. The response from Trump was sharp: he threatened to end federal contracts with Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, saying it would save billions in government spending. On his social media platform, Trump claimed that cutting contracts and subsidies for Musk would be the quickest way to reduce costs.
The threat wasn’t small. SpaceX currently has about $22 billion in active government contracts. Around $15 billion of that comes from NASA for a mix of work, from regular Falcon 9 missions to building the Starship Human Landing System that NASA plans to use for its Artemis moon landings later this decade. Another $5 billion comes from NASA’s Crew and Cargo Dragon services for the International Space Station. The remaining $7 billion is tied to Department of Defense work, such as launching national security satellites, providing military-grade Starlink internet, and carrying out classified missions.
