US EditionUS to seek rival bids for Artemis 3 as SpaceX lags, NASA chief says
- On October 20, 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Elon Musk's SpaceX is falling behind the U.S. timeline and he will open the lunar contract to Blue Origin and others, adding `We're not going to wait for one company`.
- Following a string of test failures, SpaceX launched its eleventh Starship test rocket earlier this month, after three failed flights this year and Firefly Aerospace's explosion last month.
- SpaceX originally won the HLS contract in 2021, while Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman support Artemis with Lockheed Martin handling Orion and Boeing the SLS core stages.
- Duffy said the move reflects a timeline concern, adding NASA may consider Blue Origin if SpaceX remains behind because `They push their timelines out, and we're in a race against China`.
- With schedules revised, NASA now shows the next Artemis launch delayed until April 2026 and the crewed landing moved to 2027; Artemis II will orbit four astronauts in 2026 and Blue Moon is slated for Artemis V, while China plans a crewed lunar landing in 2030.
127 Articles
127 Articles
NBC Chicago
Elon Musk goes on a tirade after NASA says it will seek moon landers from SpaceX rivals
Elon Musk took aim at NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy after Duffy announced that NASA will open SpaceX's moon lander contract up to competitors.
Elon Musk Says Head of NASA Has '2 Digit IQ' - Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Elon Musk had some choice words for the acting head of NASA after the agency opened up the Artemis 3 lunar mission contract to competition after SpaceX‘s missed timeline for the project. RKLB stock is moving. See the real-time price action here. Moon Landers Wanted NASA's Artemis 3 mission is planned for 2027 and was to use SpaceX's Starship as the lunar lander. However, setbacks have prompted NASA to seek backup options to avoid jeopardizin…
NASA Opens Moon Lander Contract to Competitors Over Starship Delays
NASA’s acting chief, Sean Duffy, said on Oct. 20 that the space agency is expanding competition for its flagship Artemis 3 mission due to delays with the SpaceX Starship lunar lander. The move could enable competitors such as Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin to play a role in sending the first astronauts to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. “Artemis 3 is when we land back on the moon. That’s going to be a year and a half, two years. S…
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