NASA has announced that it will open up its lunar mission contracts to other companies due to delays from SpaceX. During an interview on Fox News, interim administrator Sean Duffy highlighted that the agency is prioritizing a timely return to the Moon, stating that current timelines have been extended and that competition with China is intensifying.
Duffy expressed concern over SpaceX”s progress, noting, “The problem is that they are falling behind. They have extended their deadlines, and we are in a race against China. The President and I want to reach the Moon during this administration, so I am going to open the contract.” In 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX a contract worth approximately 2.9 billion dollars to develop the lunar lander for the upcoming Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over fifty years.
However, the timeline for this mission has faced multiple delays, with the latest projection indicating a launch no earlier than 2027. While Duffy acknowledged SpaceX as an “incredible company,” he reiterated that the primary objective remains reaching the Moon as soon as possible, regardless of which company is chosen.
He mentioned Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, as a potential alternative, stating, “If SpaceX is delayed and Blue Origin can do it before them… good for Blue Origin!”
Historically, the Soviet Union was the main competitor to the United States during the initial space race; however, today, China has emerged as the key rival for NASA. Beijing intends to send a crewed mission to the Moon, aiming to establish a base and explore the lunar south pole by the end of this decade. Duffy emphasized that, similar to the events of over five decades ago, the United States will lead in this renewed space competition, asserting, “We are going to win the second space race against China. We will return to the Moon, set up a base camp, and from there, we will figure out how to get to Mars.”
