Senators Reed and Shaheen have formally requested an investigation into alleged communications between Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The senators expressed concerns about Musk's reliability as a government contractor and his financial ties to the U.S. government.
They believe that the nature of these communications warrants a thorough examination to determine if Musk's involvement with SpaceX's contracts with the DoD and the Intelligence Community should be reassessed.
The senators also raised concerns about the U.S. government's reliance on SpaceX for critical space access and communication capabilities.
They argued that a competitive space industrial base is essential to ensure multiple options for maintaining access to these capabilities.
The senators called for a briefing from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall regarding efforts to enhance competition among commercial space capability providers.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has also expressed concerns about the potential implications of Musk's communications with Putin, particularly given NASA's collaborations with the DoD and intelligence agencies.
The situation raises questions about the intersection of private enterprise and national security, as private companies like SpaceX play increasingly pivotal roles in government contracts.
The investigation will be important in monitoring how these developments impact the relationship between the U.S. government and private space contractors, as well as the overall landscape of the space industry.