NASA Opens SpaceX Moon Landing Contract to Competition

(Bloomberg) — NASA wants companies to compete with SpaceX for a contract it holds to put astronauts on the moon, a fresh sign of backlash over delays to Elon Musk’s Starship spacecraft. “I’m in the process of opening that contract,” Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in a Fox News interview Monday. “We’re going to have a space race with regard to American companies competing to see who can actually get us back to the moon first.” The launch of other space companies so late in the agency’s signature human space exploration program signals growing concern within President Donald Trump’s administration about the US lagging behind China in the quest to return astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than half a century. “I love SpaceX. It’s a great company,” Duffy told CNBC. “The problem is they’re behind. They’ve pushed out their timelines, and we’re in a race against China.” NASA has awarded SpaceX contracts worth about $4 billion to turn the company’s Starship vehicle into a lunar lander that could carry the agency’s astronauts to the moon as early as 2027. Duffy did not explain what he means by opening SpaceX’s contract, particularly whether he envisions a new bidding process or whether the company will get funds back. A NASA representative had no immediate comment beyond Duffy’s remarks. A SpaceX spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SpaceX originally competed for its lunar lander contract and beat out two other finalists in 2021. NASA also awarded a second contract to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to develop a lunar lander in 2023 worth $3.4 billion. Blue Origin’s lander is expected to carry its first human astronauts to the moon by 2029, but it’s unclear whether the company can accelerate that timeline. “Blue Origin stands ready to support,” a company spokesperson said in a statement in response to questions about Duffy’s announcement. SpaceX conducted another mostly successful test of its Starship rocket earlier this month. But the company still needs to demonstrate and master many new technologies between now and the moon landing — notably the ability to refuel Starship while in orbit and launch the vehicle about a dozen times or more in a row. This is a daunting to-do list when SpaceX has yet to complete a full orbital mission with Starship. Duffy said opening the SpaceX contract would ensure the US gets back to the moon before China. He said he expects Blue Origin to get involved in the new competition. NASA plans to launch astronauts around the moon as early as next year, part of a mission known as Artemis II. The space agency’s lunar landing with SpaceX’s Starship is slated for 2027, but critics doubted the company’s vehicle would be ready in time. –With help from Sana Pashankar. (Updates with Blue Origin statement in 10th paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2025 Bloomberg LP