Elon Musk hits back at claims SpaceX is ‘subsidised’ by NASA

Elon Musk has pushed back strongly against critics who claim SpaceX is “subsidised” by NASA, calling the allegations baseless and misleading. 

His remarks came shortly after SpaceX completed its 10th Starship test flight, with Musk confirming that the upcoming Starship V3 and V4 designs will deliver even more power and payload capacity.

In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk clarified the company’s financial structure and insisted that SpaceX earns its contracts through performance, not preferential treatment.

Musk said that while he holds “great fondness for NASA,” the agency will make up less than 5% of SpaceX’s revenue next year. 

The majority, he stressed, will come from commercial services, especially Starlink, which he highlighted as the company’s largest revenue generator. 

According to Musk, suggestions that NASA bankrolls SpaceX ignore the fact that the company won its contracts by offering stronger capabilities at competitive prices.

He also pointed out that SpaceX remains the only company meeting NASA’s strict safety requirements for transporting astronauts, a milestone he says reflects capability rather than subsidy. 

As SpaceX targets an $800 billion valuation and explores a potential IPO by 2026, Musk and CFO Bret Johnsen have briefed investors on secondary share offerings that could make SpaceX the most valuable private firm in the US.

Musk also emphasised SpaceX’s global impact, noting that the company will carry roughly 90% of the world’s payload mass to orbit this year.