NASA Reopening Moon Contract, Challenging Musk, SpaceX

NASA is reconsidering the role of SpaceX in returning U.S. astronauts to the moon.

Acting administrator Sean Duffy has signaled growing concern that Elon Musk's company is falling behind schedule.

In a series of media appearances on Monday, Duffy said the mission is too important to allow a time lag.

"They (SpaceX) push their timelines out, and we're in a race against China," Duffy told CNBC. "So, I'm going to open up the contract. I'm going to let other space companies compete with SpaceX."

SpaceX holds a $2.9 billion NASA contract to build the lunar lander for the Artemis III mission, which aims to put astronauts on the moon as early as mid-2027. Duffy suggested the deal could be amended or reopened as NASA looks for faster progress.

His comments mark a potential shift from NASA's 2021 decision to rely on SpaceX's Starship vehicle, still in development after multiple test failures. The rocket has achieved a few suborbital successes this year but remains far from operational readiness.

Industry leaders have questioned whether the complex refueling and flight sequence required for Starship could delay NASA's lunar ambitions and allow China to claim the next crewed landing. "We're in a competition we can't afford to lose," Duffy said in a separate appearance on Fox, confirming he is "in the process of opening that contract up."

NASA also contracts Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space firm, to develop its Blue Moon lander for later Artemis missions. Starship, however, remains assigned to the flagship Artemis III flight, which would be the first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo missions of the 1060s and 70s.

CNN reported that NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens said SpaceX and Blue Origin have until Oct. 29 to submit "acceleration approaches" to speed development. The agency will also seek new ideas from the broader commercial space sector.

"President Trump and Secretary Duffy have a mission to beat China back to the Moon," Stevens said. "That's why they are harnessing the power of the American space industry and seeking solutions to develop more ways to land on the moon."

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