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SpaceX founder Elon Musk escalated NASA’s leadership turmoil, mocking interim administrator Sean Duffy as "Sean Dummy" after Duffy publicly criticized SpaceX’s delayed lunar lander and courted rivals. The clash underscores a fight between Duffy, who has enjoyed the role since Donald Trump pulled Jared Isaacman’s nomination, and Isaacman, whom Trump has continued to meet and could re-nominate. Duffy elevated Amit Kshatriya, skeptical of using Starship as a lander, and explored moving NASA under the Department of Transportation. With morale low and a 20% workforce drop, the agency is stalled as talk centers on beating China to the Moon.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.