Summary: On August 28, 2026, OpenAI announced that it had notified SpaceX of a planned wind-down of the contract supplying its models through Cursor, with November 12, 2026 named as the proposed shutoff date. OpenAI tied the decision to SpaceX’s acquisition of Cursor, prior contract violations by Elon Musk’s companies, and safety concerns around its upcoming Astra model. The cutoff remained planned rather than immediate, and affected developers must use the remaining notice period to arrange alternatives.
OpenAI has notified SpaceX that it plans to wind down the contract under which its models reach Cursor, naming November 12, 2026 as the proposed shutoff date. The announcement, published on OpenAI News on August 28, 2026, presents the step as difficult but necessary, tied to SpaceX’s acquisition of Cursor and to a record of contract violations by Elon Musk’s companies.
Why the contract is ending
OpenAI notes that it leans on custom contracts with large partners to enforce its terms of service and to keep safety guarantees holding at scale. According to a New York Times report cited in the announcement, Musk’s company broke the terms of its contract with OpenAI after he acquired Twitter, which today sits inside SpaceX. OpenAI also points to Musk’s admission under oath earlier this year that xAI, now part of SpaceX as well, had violated OpenAI’s terms of service.
The custom agreement with Cursor carries a limited window to cancel once control changes hands. OpenAI says it is holding that cancellation to the latest date available while it stops supplying future models to Cursor. The notice period is the longest the contract permits, a choice meant to leave developers as much time as possible to keep access.
The Astra safety angle
OpenAI links the decision to Astra, its upcoming model, and to what it describes as a new level of accountability as AI capabilities advance. Drawing on its experience with Musk’s companies, the company says it cannot be confident that SpaceX will keep its technology within its terms of service. The announcement points readers to OpenAI’s earlier statement on responding to critical cyber capabilities, a link that suggests Astra raises the stakes for compliance.
What this means for developers
OpenAI says it has worked with Cursor for nearly four years and holds enormous respect for the team and the product. It acknowledges that the people hit hardest are the developers who rely on OpenAI models inside Cursor. The company says it cares about how they fare in this transition and stands ready to go above and beyond to support them, though the announcement does not spell out what that support will involve.
For product builders, the lesson is that model access delivered through third-party tools can shift quickly once ownership changes. If a specific model inside your IDE or platform is load-bearing for your workflow, it is worth mapping your fallback options before a contract deadline lands.