SpaceX employees say they are relieved Elon Musk is focused on Twitter because there is a calmer work environment at the rocket company

JANUARY 18, 2023

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Yasin Ozturk/Getty Images

SpaceX employees said they’re relieved about CEO Elon Musk’s focus on Twitter because it’s led to a calmer work environment, Bloomberg reported.

Current and former SpaceX staff, who requested to remain anonymous, told Bloomberg that they didn’t require Musk’s attention every day. Following the billionaire’s takeover of Twitter in late October, there has been a “semblance of calm,” when Musk is focusing on other activities, the workers told Bloomberg.

Instead, Musk’s role at SpaceX is vital for setting the company’s goals, such as reaching Mars and helping NASA put humans on the moon again, the workers told Bloomberg.

When Musk is engaged in daily operations at SpaceX, it could lead to more work for staff, per the report.

For example, Musk had previously ordered random changes to suit his preferences, such as staff redesigning technical hardware due to its aesthetic which can take weeks to achieve, current and former employees told Bloomberg. His demands have sometimes led to staff reworking the product again for its functionality, they added.

Musk tweeted in early December: “I continue to oversee both Tesla & SpaceX, but the teams there are so good that often little is needed from me.”

While Musk is away, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s chief operating officer, takes the lead. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Shotwell has reassured him there was “nothing to worry about” when he asked if Twitter would distract from SpaceX, per NBC News.

SpaceX and Twitter didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment made outside of normal US operating hours.

Citing jet-tracking data, college student Jack Sweeney said Musk’s private jet hadn’t flown to the airport near SpaceX’s main launch site in Texas since October 14.

Courtesy/Source: The article originally posted on Business Insider