During appearances on TV this Monday, Sean Duffy, the Acting Administrator of NASA, raised eyebrows by stating that SpaceX might be sidelined as they consider alternatives for landing astronauts on the moon later in the decade.
According to Duffy, SpaceX, which holds a hefty $2.9 billion contract for the lunar lander that will ferry astronauts to the moon, is falling behind schedule. This delay could seriously impact NASA’s goal of beating China to the moon as the competition heats up.
“They keep pushing their timelines back, and we’re competing against China here,” Duffy mentioned in his chat on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” pointing directly at SpaceX’s ongoing development of the Starship — the vessel intended for lunar landings. “So, we will be expanding the contract to let other space companies come into the fray against SpaceX.”
If NASA opts to either amend or toss aside its contract with SpaceX, it would mark a substantial shift from their established plans set in motion in 2021. At that time, NASA had decided on Starship — which is still in somewhat rough shape with a few test flight mishaps – to be the lunar lander for the groundbreaking Artemis III mission, scheduled to launch as early as mid-2027.
Duffy’s comments come amid growing concerns from industry leaders that the complex processes around using SpaceX’s Starship could jeopardize NASA’s ability to keep the lead in the new lunar race.
What’s Next for NASA?
The timeline for NASA to potentially revise or even abandon its agreement with SpaceX is still unclear. During a separate sit-down with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Duffy indicated he’s actively working on assessing that lunar lander contract.
In the competition realm, NASA already has two companies working on lunar landers: SpaceX with its Starship and Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, which aims to bring its Blue Moon lander into action down the line.
However, it’s Starship that’s really set to be the centerpiece for the Artemis III mission in 2027, representing the first time astronauts could set foot on the moon since the last Apollo mission decades ago. Meanwhile, Blue Origin plans to use Blue Moon for later Artemis missions, starting potentially with Artemis V.
In an official statement, NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens declared that both SpaceX and Blue Origin have until October 29 to share their strategies on speeding up their lunar lander projects.
Moreover, NASA is also checking with the entire commercial space sector through a Request for Information (RFI) to explore ways to accelerate lunar mission timelines, emphasizing that the U.S. aims to outpace China — who has plans to reach the moon by 2030.
Duffy speculated that Blue Origin might just fill any gap left by SpaceX’s delays in the Artemis III mission.
In response to Duffy’s statements, Blue Origin asserted that the company is “ready to support” NASA’s objectives.
Furthermore, NASA may consider widening the competition to other contenders without existing contracts in light of delays.
“If Blue Origin can do it sooner than SpaceX, more power to them,” Duffy remarked. “We can’t just wait for one company. We will forge ahead and secure a win in this space race especially against the Chinese.”
It’s uncertain whether NASA’s forthcoming RFI will draw any fresh players into the lunar race, since typically, RFIs are lower-pressure informal inquiries compared to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), which are much more formal business prospects.
Industry observers are worried about both SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s tight schedules due to the intricate nature of their space vehicles — especially since in-orbit refueling is yet to be tested, a necessity for creating lunar landers that work properly may require protracted development timeframes.
As far as other American companies that could step up and compete for NASA Artemis contracts, it’s a bit of a mystery right now.
Dynetics, an aerospace outfit based in Alabama, was another hopeful in the initial bidding game for the lunar lander contract but hasn’t yet responded to inquiries about Duffy’s statements.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional context.
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