Musk Attacks Acting NASA Chief; Starship Tensions Grow

Elon Musk launched a public attack on Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy on X, calling him “Sean Dummy,” running a poll mocking his background and questioning his intelligence after reports of a power struggle over NASA’s permanent leadership. The dispute escalated after Duffy said SpaceX was behind on its moon-landing timeline and suggested opening NASA contracts to competitors or folding the agency under the Transportation Department, prompting Musk to defend SpaceX and his ally Jared Isaacman. Isaacman, whose nomination to lead NASA was withdrawn earlier this year, is reportedly working behind the scenes to regain contention while denying he has paid lobbyists; his supporters and Musk have publicly pushed back against Duffy. The conflict deepened after Duffy appointed longtime NASA employee Amit Kshatriya, who is reportedly skeptical of using SpaceX’s Starship as a lunar lander, reflecting broader disagreements over Artemis timelines, contractor accountability, and NASA’s independence.