Elon Musk launches personal attack on NASA boss - and says he isn't smart enough for the job

Elon Musk has attacked NASA's head - and claimed helium isn't astute capable to clasp the apical job.

The billionaire's disapproval of Sean Duffy came aft the abstraction bureau said it was unfastened to utilizing satellite landers that weren't manufactured by his institution SpaceX.

On X, Musk accused Mr Duffy of "trying to termination NASA", and wrote: "The idiosyncratic liable for America's abstraction programme can't person a 2 digit IQ."

While NASA has been readying to usage SpaceX's Starship rocket strategy to onshore connected the lunar surface, proposals volition present beryllium accepted from rivals.

The bureau wants to instrumentality astronauts to the satellite wrong Donald Trump's 2nd word and bash truthful earlier China gets there.

Mr Duffy had told CNBC: "We're not going to hold for 1 company. We're going to propulsion this guardant and triumph the 2nd abstraction contention against the Chinese."

While SpaceX has a $2.9bn (£2.2bn) declaration for the Artemis III mission, it has fallen down docket - with Starship suffering a bid of explosive failures this year.

Nonetheless, Musk has defended the company's progress, writing: "SpaceX is moving similar lightning compared to the remainder of the abstraction industry.

"Moreover, Starship volition extremity up doing the full satellite mission. Mark my words."

In response, Mr Duffy said: "Love the passion. The contention to the Moon is ON. Great companies shouldn't beryllium acrophobic of a challenge. When our innovators vie with each other, America wins!"

Mr Duffy is presently the acting head of NASA, but reports suggest that helium wants to support the role.

Musk has antecedently thrown his enactment down a billionaire called Jared Isaacman for the apical job, who has antecedently flown connected 2 backstage SpaceX missions into orbit.