(Photo illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Bulwark | Photos: Getty)
I’ve been making the case for nationalizing SpaceX for years, but I’ve never put the arguments all in one place. That’s what we’re doing today. Let’s stipulate that this newsletter won’t have all the answers. It’s a starting point for deeper discussions. But a longstanding reality is suddenly obvious to people:
SpaceX is a national security vulnerability. Something must be done about it.
Two things up front: First, my headline is “Nationalize SpaceX,” but that’s shorthand. I don’t know that we need to “nationalize” the company, per se. Maybe we do! Or maybe it needs to be broken up! Or aggressively regulated!
So for the purposes of discussion, please treat “Nationalize SpaceX” as a catchall and not a specific policy proposal. We can talk about nationalization as we go; just understand that it’s only one tool.
That’s the first thing.
The second thing is that we should divorce the person of Elon Musk from this conversation. Musk is a uniquely dangerous individual and the fact that he controls SpaceX increases the national security risks. But the risks would still exist no matter who controlled the company. Imagine a wise, beneficent trillionaire instead. If he controlled SpaceX outright, it would still be an unacceptable risk for America.
In the first section I’ll explain why SpaceX is a danger to national security. In the second I’ll lay out some possible policy solutions.
Are you ready? Good. Let me start by explaining why you can’t buy a combat-ready fighter jet.