Savar Suri and Robert Mason
President Donald Trump’s feud with Elon Musk might enhance US national security interests, and more specifically, Space Force policy, by removing Musk’s monopoly over SpaceX decision-making. Elon Musk, once Trump’s biggest ally who donated over $250 million to the President’s re-election campaign, is now publicly condemning him, primarily over the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Additionally, Musk is launching his own “America” political party, with a stated goal of unseating Republican lawmakers who voted for Trump’s bill. As a result of the feud, podcaster and former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has suggested nationalizing SpaceX and deporting Elon Musk.
SpaceX’s Power Extends Far Beyond Space Tourism SpaceX isn’t just a space tourism company that indulges Musk’s dreams of colonizing Mars. It has multibillion-dollar agreements with the US government and, in 2024, accounted for 95 percent of America’s space launches (through working with both NASA and private companies). Starlink, its satellite network, provides essential internet connectivity for a range of customers, including the Ukrainian military. Hospitals in Gaza use Starlink for online medical consultations. Almost two-thirds of all operational satellites today are controlled by SpaceX through the Starlink constellation.
Many Starlink satellites have now been adapted to form Starshield, which provides new military capabilities to the United States. However, SpaceX remains a private company, and Musk controls 79 percent of the voting rights. He can, and has reportedly, exploited his control of Starlink. In February, he denied claims that Starlink access was leveraged to get a US-Ukraine minerals deal across the line. In 2022, he refused Ukraine’s emergency request for Starlink access in Crimea. China has reportedly requested, via Russian intermediaries, that Musk not activate Starlink over Taiwan.
Meanwhile, violent extremists in the Sahel have reportedly been using Starlink devices, acquired through the black market, which allows them to evade detection and boost their operational effectiveness.Few competitors to Starlink exist, and the ones that do are not close to matching its capacity, speed, and efficiency. SpaceX isn’t slowing down either. They broke records for their launch frequency in 2024, and are scheduled to break them again in 2025. Musk’s monopoly on the industry seems unbreakable. Yet, decisions that could have such a profound impact on global security are not meant for civilian decision-makers in the private sector.
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