Some employees told Bloomberg that Elon Musk’s focus on Twitter has made SpaceX a quieter place to work. According to the report, Musk’s preoccupation with daily operations at SpaceX could create more work for the employees.
Bloomberg reported that SpaceX employees said they are relieved that CEO Elon Musk’s focus on Twitter has calmed the work environment. Current and former SpaceX employees who requested anonymity told Bloomberg that they didn’t need Musk’s attention every day.
Activists told Bloomberg that since the billionaire’s acquisition of Twitter in late October, there have been “semblances of calm” when Musk has focused on other pursuits. Instead, Musk’s role at SpaceX is crucial to setting the company’s goals, such as reaching Mars and helping NASA put humans on the moon again, workers told Bloomberg.
According to the report, this could lead to more work for the employees when Musk is engaged in daily operations at SpaceX. For example, Elon Musk has previously ordered random changes to suit his preferences, such as redesigning technical hardware due to a technical aesthetic, which can take weeks to achieve, current and former employees told Bloomberg.
He added that their demands sometimes prompted employees to rework the product’s functionality. Elon Musk tweeted in early December: I continue to oversee both Tesla and SpaceX, but the teams there are so good that often much less is needed from me.
While Elon Musk is away, SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell is in charge. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Shotwell assured him there was nothing to worry about when he asked if Twitter would distract from SpaceX, according to NBC News.
SpaceX and Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal US operating hours of Elon Musk Power. Citing jet-tracking data, college student Jack Sweeney said Elon Musk’s private jet had not been at the airport near SpaceX’s main launch site in Texas since October 14.