Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy and billionaire Elon Musk exchanged sharp words online Tuesday over the leadership of the U.S. space agency, a day after Duffy announced plans to open competition for SpaceX’s lunar landing contract.
The dispute—between the SpaceX founder and NASA, which maintains deep financial ties with Musk’s company—erupted publicly after Musk responded on X to reports that Duffy, who also serves as Transportation Secretary, had floated the idea of merging NASA into the Department of Transportation.
“The person responsible for America’s space program can’t have a two-digit IQ,” Musk wrote.
In a Fox News appearance on Monday, Duffy criticized delays in SpaceX’s Starship development, a key part of NASA’s Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon and competing with China’s lunar ambitions. He said NASA would now invite additional companies to bid for the 2021-awarded mission contract held by SpaceX.
A NASA spokesperson clarified that Duffy’s focus remains on ensuring the U.S. reaches the Moon before China. “Sean suggested NASA could benefit from Cabinet-level status, perhaps under the Department of Transportation, but he never said he wanted to lead the agency himself,” the spokesperson said, addressing a Wall Street Journal report that suggested the move could secure Duffy’s role at NASA.
Neither Musk nor SpaceX offered comment on the exchange.
“Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON,” Duffy later posted on X in response to Musk’s claim that Starship would “end up doing the whole Moon mission.”
“Great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge,” Duffy added.
