Washington: When former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Elon Musk and suggested cutting federal ties with his companies in June, many dismissed it as political bluster. However, behind the scenes, the Trump administration initiated a comprehensive review of federal contracts with Musk's businesses, particularly SpaceX. The findings revealed just how integral Musk's aerospace empire had become to U.S. government operations.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the General Services Administration (GSA) quickly instructed multiple agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense, to compile detailed "scorecards" of all current SpaceX contracts. The goal was to assess whether alternatives existed and if taxpayer dollars could be saved.

The review, however, demonstrated the opposite of Trump's intentions; it underscored the essential nature of the government's relationship with SpaceX. The contracts under scrutiny were largely considered critical to U.S. national security and space operations. SpaceX's dominance in launch capabilities and its leadership in low-Earth orbit satellite infrastructure meant that few, if any, viable substitutes existed.

Alternative providers, such as Boeing and Blue Origin, reportedly faced delays and technical challenges, making them unable to match SpaceX's launch cadence or reliability. As The Daily Beast quoted a senior defense analyst, "There's no replacing SpaceX. You just do not have the capacity in our other launch options."

SpaceX has become deeply entrenched in U.S. operations, receiving at least 21 billion U.S. dollars in federal payments to date, with an additional 13 billion dollars in awards pending. These contracts cover satellite deployments, defense communications via the Starlink constellation, and cargo and crew missions for NASA.

For now, the U.S. government simply cannot replace SpaceX. According to The Daily Beast, SpaceX currently accounts for 83 percent of all global satellite launches and is the only player capable of combining affordability, speed, and proven technology at scale. Canceling SpaceX contracts would jeopardize critical defense and space missions, as no other vendor could match SpaceX's pricing or execution in most cases.

Despite Trump's public condemnation, SpaceX continues to thrive. During the review process, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell reportedly held discreet meetings with White House officials to reaffirm the company's role in U.S. strategic infrastructure. While political tensions may have intensified, the government's reliance on Musk's companies appears largely unchanged.

In the face of these realities, the U.S. cannot afford to sever ties with SpaceX anytime soon. Although competitors like Blue Origin are gaining traction, none possess the launch cadence, operational record, or scale of SpaceX. As industry analysts note, SpaceX remains a crucial partner for U.S. space operations.