Sen. Elizabeth Warren is calling for a closer national security review of SpaceX after new reporting raised concerns that Chinese investors may be quietly funneling money into Elon Musk’s aerospace company. Warren, joined by Sen. Andy Kim, sent a formal letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging the Pentagon to investigate whether these alleged financial ties could create serious risks for the U.S. military and intelligence community.

Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, framed the issue as more than just a business concern. She argued that any hidden foreign investment—especially from an adversarial country like China—could potentially expose sensitive information or give foreign actors leverage over a company deeply embedded in America’s defense infrastructure.

In their letter, Warren and Kim cited recently unsealed court documents along with a ProPublica investigation published in March. According to the report, SpaceX has allowed Chinese investors to purchase ownership stakes through offshore entities, making it difficult to trace where the money is ultimately coming from. Warren warned that these kinds of arrangements may allow foreign investors to maintain influence while avoiding scrutiny from U.S. regulators and national security agencies.

The lawmakers emphasized that the stakes are especially high because SpaceX is not just another private company—it is a major contractor for the Department of Defense. The Pentagon relies heavily on SpaceX for critical operations, including launch services and other defense-related missions. The senators noted that SpaceX holds billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts, including a $5.9 billion launch services agreement.

Warren argued that this level of dependence makes the situation unacceptable. She stressed that even the possibility that China could gain financial leverage over SpaceX should be treated as a serious national security threat. In the letter, the senators wrote that any potential Chinese influence over a company supporting key military, intelligence, and civilian systems could put the country at risk.

The ProPublica investigation also highlighted a past incident where SpaceX executives reportedly backed away from a $50 million investment deal involving a Chinese firm after media attention surfaced. The company’s chief financial officer reportedly testified that the publicity surrounding the investment was “not helpful” given SpaceX’s role as a government contractor—an admission Warren and Kim appeared to view as further evidence that SpaceX leadership understood the sensitivity of foreign investment concerns.

Sen. Warren and Sen. Kim also raised alarm that Chinese investors could potentially use financial connections to gain access to nonpublic information, which could later be used to undermine U.S. security interests.

To push the matter forward, Warren and Kim asked Secretary Hegseth to respond by Feb. 18. They requested detailed answers about whether the Pentagon is aware of the alleged foreign investment activity and what actions it plans to take to reduce any security vulnerabilities connected to SpaceX.