Overview
- Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said SpaceX is behind schedule and announced a new competition for the Artemis lunar lander, explicitly naming Blue Origin as a potential bidder.
- NASA set an October 29 deadline for SpaceX and Blue Origin to submit plans to accelerate the lunar-lander work and invited proposals from the wider industry.
- SpaceX still holds the 2021 Human Landing System award, reported at about $4.4 billion, to use Starship for the Artemis III landing.
- Elon Musk publicly insulted Duffy on X, rejected claims of delays, and asserted that Starship will complete the entire Moon mission while questioning Blue Origin’s lack of orbital deliveries.
- The current plan targets Artemis II for early 2026 without a landing and Artemis III for a surface attempt in 2027, timelines widely viewed as at risk under the present development pace.