Trump, Musk dispute over escalating NASA and Pentagon to consider SpaceX alternatives

After Mr. Trump's spat with Mr. Musk, representatives from NASA and the Pentagon called on SpaceX's competitors to speed up the development of alternative rockets and spacecraft, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter. "Administration officials contacted at least three commercial space companies: Rocket Lab, Stoke Space and Blue Origin to find out the status of their rockets and when they could be used for government missions," the report said. Mr. Musk had previously said he might halt flights of the Dragon spacecraft, which would make it impossible for NASA to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Mr. Musk later backed down from the threat. However, his statement has raised concerns among NASA officials who hand over the safety of astronauts to SpaceX, a company that the Pentagon also relies heavily on to launch its key satellites.