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Officials at NASA and the Pentagon have begun urging rival aerospace companies to accelerate the development of alternative rockets and spacecraft following US President Donald Trump's threat to cancel SpaceX contracts.
The move comes amid an escalating public dispute between Trump and Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX.
According to multiple reports, Trump warned of 'serious consequences' for Musk if he were to financially support Democratic candidates, and stated that all federal contracts with Musk's companies would be reviewed. Musk had previously threatened to suspend SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft services to NASA, but later retracted the statement.
NASA and the Pentagon have reportedly reached out to competitors such as Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, and Blue Origin to assess their readiness to provide launch services.
SpaceX is a key provider for both crewed missions to the International Space Station and military satellite launches.
The dispute has also seen Musk publicly propose the creation of a new political movement, the 'America Party', following a poll in which 80% of approximately 6 million respondents expressed support.
Musk donated $239 million to Trump's campaign and other Republican candidates. There are at least 32 federal investigations or actions involving Musk's companies, including fines from the Federal Aviation Administration, a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit, and 24 National Labor Relations Board probes.
Trump has stated that he has no intention to reconcile with Musk, saying, 'Our relationship is over.' He also noted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has saved 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' and that the administration is assuming more control over the department.
外语圈：BAFLA's Chinese channel 中文频道
