--- title: "Elon Musk Tells Ex-NASA Astronaut SpaceX Could Cause World War 3" description: "Elon Musk, for some reason, told a famous ex-astronaut that SpaceX's technology could be used to \"escalate\" the Russian invasion into a world war." date: "2023-02-13" modified: "2023-02-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-nasa-spacex-ww3" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "Scott Kelly" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Tells Ex-NASA Astronaut SpaceX Could Cause World War 3 ![Elon Musk, for some reason, told a famous ex-astronaut that SpaceX's technology could be used to "escalate" the Russian invasion into a world war.]() *\Image: Justin Sullivan via Getty / Futurism\* ## All's Fair SpaceX Elon Musk apparently has never learned to think before he tweets, even since buying the entirety of Twitter, as most recently evidenced by his bizarre assertion that one of his companies could potentially be responsible for a third world war. Musk's strange comments came during a minor spat with [ex-astronaut Scott Kelly](). To be fair, Kelly had been beefing with the multi-hyphenate entrepreneur about his Starlink internet service in Ukraine, to which [Musk curtailed the Ukrainian military's access]() last week. "Ukraine desperately needs your continued support," Kelly, a [staunch Ukraine advocate]() and [regular Musk critic](), [tweeted]() on Saturday. "Please restore the full functionality of your Starlink satellites. Defense from a genocidal invasion is not an offensive capability. It’s survival. Innocent lives will be lost. You can help." ## Taking His Time Nearly a full day after the celebrated astronaut's plea, Musk finally responded — though what he said was about as murky as if he'd just left it alone. "You’re smart enough not to swallow and other propaganda \[bullshit\]," the [Twitter owner responded](). "Starlink is the communication backbone of Ukraine, especially at the front lines, where almost all other Internet connectivity has been destroyed." Here's where it gets weird: Musk also appeared to suggest that if Starlink continued to supply internet to Ukraine, that country's military would use it to turn the heat up on its resistance to Russia, which has led its land-grab offensive there for a year now — and could ultimately result in a world war. "We will not enable escalation of conflict that may lead to WW3," he concluded. ## Twitter Fingers Though he did not initially tag Kelly, [Musk appeared to subtweet the ex-astronaut]() hours before actually responding him when he tweeted that he found it "amazing" that "some of the smartest people I know actively believe the press." This is far from the first time the South African-Canadian billionaire has expressed opinions that are [strikingly convenient for Russian president Vladimir Putin](). Once again, in other words, the guy whose politics often boil down to half-baked Martian utopianism peppered with stupid memes is wading into wartime geopolitics — and once again, his commentary is far from welcome. **More on the Russian invasion of Ukraine:** [*Scientists Say We're Closer to Nuclear Armageddon Than Any Other Point in History*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()