Overview
- Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said he is opening the Artemis III lander award to competition, citing schedule slippage at SpaceX and naming Blue Origin as a likely bidder.
- A NASA spokesperson said SpaceX and Blue Origin were told to submit accelerated moon-landing plans by Oct. 29, while the agency has not detailed how a reopened competition would be structured or funded.
- Duffy indicated Artemis II is targeting early 2026 with an earliest opportunity in February, and he now points to a landing a couple of years later, moving Artemis III away from 2027 toward 2028.
- SpaceX’s Starship program has posted mixed test results and still must demonstrate milestones such as in-orbit propellant transfer before a human-rated lunar descent.
- Blue Origin said it is ready to support, Lockheed Martin signaled it has been analyzing human lander options for a fast-return bid, and Elon Musk asserted Starship will ultimately fly the mission.