The acting head of NASA, Sean Duffy, who is also the U.S. Transportation Secretary, recently engaged in a heated exchange with SpaceX founder Elon Musk after Duffy called on private companies to compete with SpaceX for a lunar mission contract. This disagreement came to light on Tuesday as Musk reacted to Duffy”s comments regarding the potential restructuring of NASA under the Transportation Department.
Musk”s response on the social media platform X was pointed, stating, “The person responsible for America”s space program can”t have a 2 digit IQ.” The clash intensified following Duffy”s appearance on the Fox News program “Fox & Friends,” where he claimed that the development of SpaceX”s Starship was falling behind schedule. This mission is crucial for NASA”s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and is seen as a competitor to China”s lunar aspirations.
Duffy announced that due to the delays, NASA intends to invite other companies to submit proposals for the lunar mission, originally awarded to SpaceX in 2021. NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens confirmed that the agency plans to issue a formal request soon, seeking faster lunar lander concepts for the upcoming Artemis 3 mission. She emphasized that Duffy is determined to outpace China in the race to the Moon.
In response to Musk”s assertive post, Duffy took to X again, expressing enthusiasm for the competition, stating, “Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON.” He reiterated that strong companies should embrace challenges, signaling an ongoing rivalry in the aerospace sector.
As of now, neither Musk nor SpaceX have provided comments regarding the ongoing situation.
