US President Donald Trump has described billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk as a modern-day Thomas Edison, praising his technological achievements and contributions to America’s strategic interests, space exploration and disaster response.
Trump honoured the SpaceX and Tesla founder with the National Medal of Science at the New Golden Age Summit on Thursday. He called Musk a national treasure and credited his scientific innovations with turning ambitious ideas into reality.
“Few Americans in history have done more to advance America’s national interest than Elon; in one field after another, his genius and determination have made science fiction into reality,” Trump said.
The US President praised SpaceX for transforming the economics of space exploration since Musk founded the company in 2002. He said its privately developed rockets had reduced America’s dependence on foreign countries for transporting astronauts into space.
Trump congratulated SpaceX on what he described as the safe return of Crew-12 from the International Space Station shortly before the ceremony. He highlighted Starship, designed for rapid reuse, and Starlink, the company’s satellite communications network.
Trump recalled how Starlink restored communications to flood-hit communities in North Carolina, claiming the intervention saved hundreds of lives, though the figure remained unverified. He praised Musk’s work at Tesla and Neuralink, as well as his contributions to artificial intelligence.
Calling Musk a ‘modern-day Thomas Edison’, Trump congratulated him on receiving the honour.
The National Medal of Science is one of America’s highest scientific honours.
Musk received it for engineering contributions across space exploration, communications, AI and manufacturing. His companies include SpaceX, a major NASA partner, and Starlink, which provides satellite internet worldwide.
Also Read: India Stands With Kenya In Ebola Response, High Commission Says
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
