NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson has expressed considerations over reviews that SpaceX chief govt Elon Musk has been in common contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nelson was on stage at Semafor’s World Financial system Summit on Friday (Oct. 25) when he was requested about an Oct. 24 Wall Avenue Journal article, which reported that Musk has, in secret, been in common contact with Putin since late 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February that yr. The report cites former U.S., European and Russian officers.
“[SpaceX] have been phenomenally profitable … I do not know if that story is true,” Nelson stated. “I believe it ought to be investigated. If it is true there have been a number of conversations with Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then that will be regarding, notably for NASA and the Division of Protection,” Nelson stated in response, Semafor reported.
Musk’s SpaceX is a vital industrial accomplice for NASA. Its Falcon 9 rockets launch cargo and crew to the Worldwide House Station. Its big, in-development Starship car can be integral to the company’s bid to place astronauts again on the moon with the Artemis 3 mission within the coming years.
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Musk has not too long ago criticized the Biden administration and has been campaigning for Donald Trump within the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Nelson didn’t criticize SpaceX straight within the interview. He famous he had a robust working relationship with the corporate by way of chief working officer Gwynne Shotwell.
Musk has not commented on the reviews of discussions with Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refuted the story, claiming {that a} single phone name had taken place, earlier than 2022, throughout which Musk and Putin mentioned varied applied sciences.
