Overview

• Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy said he is reopening competition for the Artemis 3 human landing system and identified Blue Origin as a likely bidder.
• Duffy said SpaceX is behind schedule and warned that delays could let China land first, noting President Trump wants a U.S. mission within his current term ending in January 2029.
• Artemis 2, a crewed lunar flyby using hardware from Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, remains targeted for April 2026 with a potential move up to February.
• Artemis 3 is currently planned for 2027 with SpaceX’s Starship as the lander, though officials signaled schedule risk as a key reason to seek additional competition.
• CNBC reported the ongoing U.S. government shutdown could slow the contracting process, and SpaceX and Blue Origin did not immediately comment.