Artemis III: NASA opens moon lander contract to other firms amid SpaceX delays

NASA is reopening the Artemis III moon lander contract to more space companies after SpaceX falls behind schedule in completing the mission, according to acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. 

“We are in a race against China, so we need the best companies to operate at a speed that gets us to the Moon first,” Duffy said in a post on X, sharing details after his appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program. 

In the program, Duffy went on to say that the situation has been made worse by the fact that more than 13,000 air traffic controllers are currently working without pay after the US federal government officially shut down on the night of September 30, 2025.  

“We’ve worked closely with President Trump to ensure the shutdown won’t slow down America’s return to the Moon,” Duffy said. “Many of NASA’s best and brightest are working without pay because of the shutdown.” 

Duffy explained that the choice to look for more partners shows the space agency’s aim to keep Artemis missions on track amid worries that SpaceX is lagging. This could leave the United States behind its competitor China, which aims for a crewed Moon landing by 2030. 

“I think we will see companies like Blue get involved, and maybe others,” Duffy added. “We will have a space race among American companies, competing to see who can actually get us back to the Moon first.” 

The Artemis III mission, which plans to land humans on the Moon, is currently set for mid-2027.SpaceX also has a $2.89 billion contract with NASA to create the Starship Human Landing System (HLS), the spacecraft that will carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back for this mission. 

In addition to the Artemis III mission, NASA is also preparing for Artemis II, which is nearly ready to launch. The Orion spacecraft will carry four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the Moon. Originally planned for an April 2026 launch, NASA now aims to move the mission up to February 2026. 

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