Elon Musk Sounds Alarm Over International Space Station, Says It Should Be De-Orbited 'Within 2 Years'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has raised concerns about the safety of the International Space Station, or the ISS.

What Happened: "There are potentially serious concerns about the long-term safety of the International Space Station," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Friday.

He added that some of the ISS's components are getting "too old" and pose an increasing amount of risk as time goes by. He also said that despite SpaceX earning billions of dollars through various missions involving transporting "astronauts and cargo" to the ISS, he would like to see it de-orbit.

"I nonetheless would like to go on record recommending that it be de-orbited within 2 years," Musk said.

Why It Matters: This isn't the first time Musk has sounded out calls to de-orbit the ISS. Earlier this year, he had echoed his present comments in a post on the social media platform X.

Elsewhere, SpaceX recently delayed the launch of its Ax-4 mission, which would transport 4 astronauts to the ISS. The company says it delayed the launch after there was a propellant leak in the boosters.

SpaceX also received a $2.5 trillion valuation projection from ARK Invest's Cathie Wood over the company's Mars ambition, as well as the Starlink space-based satellite internet system.

However, SpaceX's domination in the sector could prove to be a challenge for NASA and Pentagon officials, who have urged competitors, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, to expedite the development of alternative rockets.

The concerns come in as Musk had earlier threatened to cancel Dragon launches during the public falling out between him and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read Next:

• Elon Musk's Mars Ambitions Face New Setback As SpaceX Starship Test Flight Fails

Image Via Shutterstock