Musk-Trump conflict with "cosmic" effect. What about the Polish astronaut's mission?

• There is a heated conflict in Washington between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. The dispute is over the budget bill, but it is accompanied by accusations of lies and suggestions of Trump's connections to the "Epstein files."
• The US president threatened to cut Musk's government contracts. In response, he announced the withdrawal of Dragon capsules, which could have jeopardized the flight of Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski to the International Space Station.
• Despite the tensions between Trump and Musk, the Polish mission to the ISS will go ahead as planned. Sławosz Uznański - Wiśniewski is scheduled to fly on June 10.

From multi-million dollar support and involvement in the election campaign to accusations of contacts with a sex offender - this is how the situation between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has changed. The billionaire did not like the regulation that the administration in the US is working on, and the escalation of the conflict between him and the US president could have a ricochet effect on the space mission of the Polish astronaut.

What happened between Musk and Trump?

Elon Musk is a billionaire, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, among others. During the election campaign, he got involved on the side of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. He was both a campaign sponsor and supported Trump's image. After he won the election, he became one of his closest advisors. He headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). After 130 days, he resigned from the position. "Elon has provided incredible services. There is no other person like him," Trump said at a joint conference.

However, on Tuesday, June 3, Musk publicly criticized the new budget bill being prepared by the administration. He called the “Big Beautiful Bill” “disgusting.” He warned that the bill would increase the US deficit to $2.5 trillion, which he said would mean a huge and unfair debt for future generations.

Trump's reaction took two days to arrive. On Thursday, he said he was disappointed with his recent ally.

The dispute is like a nuclear reaction - instantaneous and destructive

Trump's reaction took two days to arrive. On Thursday, he said he was disappointed with his recent ally. He also argued that even without Musk's help, he would have won Pennsylvania. He also suggested that their relationship could end.

In response, the billionaire suggested forming a new political party and wrote that he would be on the public stage longer than Trump. That was just the beginning of the escalation. The president claimed that he had asked Musk to leave the government and had taken away his “EV mandate” (requirement to sell electric cars). He also threatened to take away billions of dollars in government contracts for Musk’s companies.

He called Trump's statement "an obvious lie" and also wrote on X that Trump is in the "Epstein files." These are documents related to the case of Jeffrey Epstein - a financier who has been accused of trafficking underage girls, sexual abuse and creating a pedophile network with the participation of influential people.

A Capricious Billionaire and a Polish Space Mission

In response to threats over government contracts, Musk announced the immediate retirement of Dragon spacecraft.

Here we come to the topic of the Polish astronaut. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski is scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 10. The Pole's participation in the mission is the result of an agreement signed between the Ministry of Development and Technology and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) is also involved in the preparations as an executive agency of the Ministry of Development and Technology. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will be the second Pole in space after Mirosław Hermaszewski. The astronauts are scheduled to spend 14 days on the International Space Station.

The astronauts will fly to the ISS on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which will carry the Dragon capsule into orbit. If Musk had actually decided to ground it, the Pole's mission would not have been completed.

However, as POLSA informs us, Uznański will fly. - The Polish Space Agency and the Ministry of Development and Technology have confirmation of the launch on 10.06.2025 at 14:22 Polish time. Officially, we do not have any new information on this matter - says Magdalena Krupa from the agency's press office.

- The Polish side, i.e. the Ministry of Development and Technology and POLSA, cooperate closely with international partners, including in particular the European Space Agency and Axiom, especially regarding any changes to the flight plan - he added.