Overview
- Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy said the lunar-landing award will be re-solicited, opening competition to firms such as Blue Origin.
- Duffy said SpaceX is behind on the Human Landing System despite a largely successful mid-October Starship test following several failures and FAA scrutiny earlier this year.
- NASA is revising timelines, with Artemis II now planned for April 2026 and possibly February, and the first landing targeted for 2028 rather than 2027.
- Duffy framed the move as part of a race with China, which targets a first crewed lunar mission by 2030, and he pledged not to wait for a single company.
- SpaceX has held the HLS contract since 2021 at about $4.4 billion, while Blue Origin holds a separate award for later Artemis missions and could now bid for Artemis III.