SpaceX

Despite the U.S. government shutdown, NASA is prioritizing its Artemis program, directing personnel working with SpaceX and Blue Origin to continue operations. Internal memos confirm that Artemis, along with the ISS and satellite missions, are considered essential. While NASA faces significant furloughs, roughly 3,000 employees will continue working, ensuring key projects like the Artemis lunar missions, including SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s lunar lander development, proceed despite the funding lapse. Artemis aims to send astronauts to the Moon, paving the way for future Mars missions.

SpaceX plans for full Starship reusability in the next year with the Starship 3.0. Elon Musk aims for simultaneous recovery of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, targeting a 100+ metric ton payload to orbit. Version 3.0 features next-generation Raptor 3 engines and a redesigned architecture. Starship 2.0 will have one final suborbital flight before focusing on version 3.0, which will also begin with suborbital tests. Success depends on Raptor 3 performance, advanced autonomy for vehicle recovery, and structural integrity for repeated launches.

Two former SpaceX employees are suing the company, alleging safety concerns were ignored in favor of speed and cost, leading to their wrongful termination. One plaintiff, a former supervisor, claims he was fired after raising warnings about a potentially dangerous rocket recovery process. The lawsuit highlights instances of excessive work hours, unreported injuries, and a culture of prioritizing deadlines over safety. OSHA data reveals SpaceX’s Starbase facility has a higher injury rate than the aerospace manufacturing average. Another plaintiff alleges termination after workplace injuries.

Investor Peter Thiel suggests Elon Musk has shifted focus from the political vision of Mars colonization to a purely technological endeavor, stating Musk “stopped believing in Mars” as a political solution in 2024. While Musk still champions interstellar expansion for civilizational survival, his approach is now seen as more engineering-centric. SpaceX continues its Starship development for Mars missions, with robots planned for surface exploration by 2027.

Hurun’s 2025 Global Unicorn Index reveals record-breaking growth, with 1,523 privately held companies valued over $1 billion. The US leads with nearly 50% of the unicorns, followed by China. Software & services dominate, particularly in fintech and AI. SpaceX takes the top spot, followed by ByteDance and OpenAI, highlighting trends in space exploration and artificial intelligence. AI-related unicorns are particularly prominent, with a combined valuation of nearly $1 trillion.

A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded during a pre-flight static fire test, causing significant damage and raising concerns about the project’s timeline. The incident, the fourth major explosion this year, follows previous failures including fuel leaks, engine issues, and payload deployment problems. SpaceX confirmed the explosion, stating all personnel are safe and an investigation into the root cause is underway, potentially involving pressure vessel failures.

Following Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public disagreement, the fallout continues. The White House is reviewing SpaceX’s multi-billion dollar contracts with the Department of Defense and NASA. This includes assessing SpaceX’s role in missile defense systems. The government is preparing potential retaliatory measures, giving it options should the political situation worsen despite Musk’s retracted threat to retire SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

Donald Trump confirmed a dispute with Elon Musk, stemming from Musk’s opposition to Trump’s proposed tax cuts and EV subsidy reductions. While Trump hinted at potential actions against Tesla (but supporting Starlink), both exchanged personal attacks before Trump expressed well wishes. Musk responded with a red heart on X, potentially signaling a desire to de-escalate tensions, suggesting a shift from recent public disagreements.

Elon Musk reversed his decision to retire SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft shortly after threatening to do so, following disagreements with former President Trump. The Dragon is crucial for NASA’s ISS missions and commercial space travel. The U-turn came after Musk received feedback. The Dragon spacecraft is integral to NASA’s operations, transporting crew and cargo to the ISS, a service critical until 2030.

SpaceX’s Starship suffered another setback during its ninth test flight. The Super Heavy booster exploded during its descent, and the Starship lost control during re-entry, leading to its destruction over the Indian Ocean. This failed mission, aiming to test re-entry, landing, and reusability, follows previous failures and highlights the complexity of Starship’s development. Key objectives such as thermal protection verification and controlled splashdown were not achieved.