Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said he will reopen the Human Landing System competition for Artemis III, putting SpaceX's Starship award back into play and inviting other contractors — including Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin — to submit competing proposals after finding SpaceX behind schedule.
Discovered |
Briefing
The decision reopens the Human Landing System procurement and could alter which commercial contractor receives a multibillion-dollar lunar-lander award, affecting program schedules, supplier workloads and funding profiles. See NASA's plan to reopen the Human Landing System contract for Artemis 3.
The move formalizes a contingency driven by schedule risk: NASA found SpaceX "behind" schedule, raising program and congressional concerns about meeting Artemis timelines and the broader U.S.–China competitiveness dynamic. Relevant reporting on Starship schedule risk and strategic stakes can be found here: Is SpaceX's Starship the weak link in the U.S. race to return humans to the Moon? and China's late-2025 tests for its crewed lunar programme.
Reported By
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(FR) Moon: an alternative to Starship so NASA can get ahead of Beijing • aerospatium.info
NASA Reopens Lunar Lander Competition as SpaceX Starship Delays Raise Concerns • news.ssbcrack.com
(DE) Artemis-3: Who will bring the next person to the Moon? • sueddeutsche.de
Trump urges renewed US competition with China for the Moon, warns US at risk of losing 'second race' • geostrategy-direct.com
NASA reopens Artemis III lunar-lander competition, allowing Blue Origin and others to bid • houstonchronicle.com
Duffy to Open Artemis III Contract Amid Fears SpaceX Delays Could Let China Win Moon Race • douglasmmessier.substack.com
Ars Technica
• Eric Berger
US to seek rival bids for Artemis 3 moon landing as SpaceX lags, Nasa chief says • South China Morning Post