NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated on Friday that a report suggesting SpaceX owner Elon Musk has been in frequent communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2022 should be examined. Nelson, a former astronaut and U.S. senator, acknowledged that Musk does not oversee the daily operations at SpaceX, a company that collaborates closely with NASA. However, he expressed concern over the implications raised by the report published by The Wall Street Journal.
Nelson mentioned, “I don’t know that that story is true, but I think it should be investigated. If the story is true, that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”
SpaceX plays a significant role in NASA’s operations, as evidenced by the Dragon capsule bringing back three astronauts and one cosmonaut from the International Space Station on Friday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk has been regularly communicating with Putin since 2022, discussing international politics, personal issues, and business matters. This is according to officials from the U.S., Europe, and Russia. It was also noted that Musk’s SpaceX received a $1.8 billion classified U.S. government contract in 2021, and Musk himself holds a top-secret security clearance. A U.S. official, aware of Musk’s relationship with Putin, stated there have been no alerts of potential national security breaches, although the connection has not been warmly received.
In one reported conversation, Putin allegedly requested Musk to delay the activation of Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to China. However, Starlink never received authorization to operate in Taiwan due to restrictions on foreign satellite providers.
SpaceX has categorically denied these claims, calling the report “misleading” and pointing out their continued support for Ukraine since the onset of the conflict with Russia in 2022. SpaceX stated that they have worked to maintain Ukrainian connectivity at considerable cost.
Regarding Taiwan, the company clarified that Starlink is not available there due to Taiwan’s regulatory requirements, which mandate foreign entities must own 51% of stakes to operate. SpaceX has not accepted these conditions in any market it operates, asserting that this issue is unrelated to Russia or China.
In response to the report, Musk shared a post on X, mockingly suggesting that accusations of him being a Russian agent are politically motivated.
Musk has expressed support for former President Trump and speculation suggests he might hold a position in a potential new Trump administration. In response to the report, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on individual security clearances or related matters, and White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby referred queries about Musk’s private communications to Musk himself.
FOX Business has reached out to both SpaceX and NASA for further comments on the matter.
