In a live stream on Monday, former President Donald Trump commended Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for his significant role in propelling U.S. space development to new heights.
What Happened: During the live stream on X, formerly Twitter, Trump lauded Musk for his substantial contributions to the U.S. space sector.
He said, “We were getting lapped in space by China and by Russia and now we are the leader in space.”
The former President added, “Elon Musk was doing a fantastic job, he's my friend. He endorsed me for President so strongly, it was incredible. He is doing an amazing job.”
Trump’s participation in this X Spaces session comes a day after another assassination attempt on him at his Florida golf club on Sunday afternoon.
Why It Matters: Musk’s company SpaceX has become a dominant force in space, controlling nearly two-thirds of all active satellites orbiting Earth, thanks to the rapid growth of his Starlink satellite network.
In just three years, the number of Starlink satellites has increased more than sixfold.
Previously, Federal Communications Commission chair Jessica Rosenworcel called for increased competition in the space industry. This call came a week after SpaceX launched its 7,000th Starlink satellite.
Amazon is gearing up to launch over 3,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites, setting the stage for a face-off with SpaceX in the U.K.'s airspace. This move places Amazon's executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, in direct competition with Musk.
Despite the competition, Musk continues to make strides in space exploration. On Monday, the Polaris Dawn crew landed safely back to Earth in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after conducting the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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