Musk backs down on threat to retire SpaceX Dragon spacecraft amid Trump dispute

World's richest person says craft, which Nasa relies on to take astronauts to ISS, won't be decommissioned after pleas from X users

• Musk calls for Trump to be impeached as extraordinary feud escalates

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, on Thursday said his company SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft after he engaged in an extraordinary public fallout with Donald Trump who had threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk's businesses. He later appeared to back down.

In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," Musk posted on the social media platform X, which he owns.