Musk Sparks Childish Feud on X Against NASA Chief

After Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that SpaceX is "behind schedule," Musk launched a barrage of personal insults on X. In one post, Musk stated, “The person responsible for America's space program can't have a 2 digit IQ."

Musk Takes to X 

The conflict centers on the Artemis III mission, which aims to return American astronauts to the Moon. While SpaceX won the initial contract for the Human Landing System (HLS) with its massive Starship rocket, the company’s repeated delays have put NASA’s goal of beating China to the moon by 2030 in jeopardy.

In interviews, Duffy confirmed that Starship's slow development was forcing NASA to look elsewhere. “The problem is they're behind," Duffy said. "They've pushed their timelines out, and we're in a race against China.”

Instead of accepting the criticism or doubling down on technical progress, Elon Musk took to X to personally attack the acting NASA chief. Musk called Duffy, “Sean Dummy” and posted a poll questioning Duffy’s credentials. 

However, rather than engage in Musk’s personal insult, Duffy responded with professionalism: “Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON. Great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge. When our innovators compete with each other, America wins!”

SpaceX Experiences Delays in Program

While Elon Musk is quick to launch personal attacks, the root of NASA’s concern lies with SpaceX’s own technical problems and the lack of reliability in its test program. The initial goal was for Artemis III to launch by 2026, but due to the slower-than-expected progress on Starship, NASA has officially delayed the crewed lunar landing to no earlier than mid-2027. 

The record of failure is hard to ignore. Out of the eleven total orbital test flights performed by Starship prototypes, the rocket intended to carry astronauts to the Moon, many have ended in the vehicle either exploding or being lost before completing its mission objectives. These were not minor technical glitches; they involved serious flaws, such as premature shutdowns of the rocket’s engines caused by issues like propellant leaks. Such failures led to the complete loss of control.

On top of this, the root of the problem isn't just failed test flights, but the sheer complexity of the Starship's operational plan for a lunar mission. The vehicle requires a monumental task that has never been achieved: in-orbit refueling. Starship HLS needs to be fully loaded with cryogenic fuel in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by multiple other tanker Starships before it can boost toward the Moon. This complex choreography, which requires multiple successful launches and delicate fuel transfers, has added an enormous layer of technical difficulty and time to the project. These persistent delays are why Duffy stated that SpaceX is “behind schedule” and why the agency must explore other options.