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NASA is reopening competition for its next Moon mission contract amid concerns that SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company, has fallen behind schedule in the Artemis program — the U.S. space agency’s ambitious plan to return humans to the lunar surface.
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said on Fox News Monday that the agency will invite new bids to speed up progress and ensure the United States returns to the Moon before China.
“We’re going to have a space race in regard to American companies competing to see who can actually get us back to the Moon first,” Duffy said. “I’m in the process of opening that contract up. I think we’ll see companies like Blue get involved, and maybe others.”
Blue Origin enters the frame
Duffy’s comments signal a renewed opening for Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, which already holds the contract for the fifth planned mission under the multibillion-dollar Artemis program. The administrator hinted that the U.S. space agency wants to broaden its contractor base to maintain competitive momentum.
“I love SpaceX. It’s an amazing company,” Duffy said. “The problem is, they’re behind. They pushed their timelines out, and we’re in a race against China.”
The NASA chief, who also serves as U.S. Transportation Secretary, emphasized that President Donald Trump’s administration is eager to see Americans back on the Moon within the president’s current term.
“The president and I want to get to the Moon in this president’s term, so I’m going to open up the contract,” Duffy said.
Pressure mounts as China accelerates lunar plans
China has announced plans to conduct its first crewed Moon mission by 2030, intensifying the geopolitical space race that echoes the Cold War-era rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
The Artemis program aims to re-establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and lay groundwork for future missions to Mars. The U.S. last sent astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Duffy reiterated the urgency of NASA’s mission:
“We’re in a race against China, so we need the best companies to operate at a speed that gets us to the Moon FIRST.”
He acknowledged that SpaceX currently holds the main contract but added that “competition and innovation are the keys to our dominance in space.”
SpaceX facing delays in Artemis timeline
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, selected as the lunar lander for Artemis, has encountered several technical challenges and schedule slips. Multiple test flights have experienced partial failures or delays, prompting NASA to reassess the overall timeline.
The company remains contracted for Artemis 3, the first planned mission to land humans on the Moon under the program. However, the latest developments suggest NASA may now consider additional partners to ensure its lunar objectives remain on track.
Artemis 2 scheduled for 2026
Despite recent setbacks, NASA insists that Artemis 2 — the mission that will carry astronauts around the Moon but not land — remains on course for April 2026, with the possibility of an earlier launch in February.
“We intend to keep that commitment,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, a senior NASA official, during a briefing last month.
The Artemis 2 crew includes three American astronauts and one Canadian, marking the first human lunar flyby in over 50 years.
Trump administration pushes for faster progress
President Donald Trump, who originally launched the Artemis program during his first term, has renewed his push to accelerate NASA’s lunar timeline during his second term. The administration views the Moon mission not only as a scientific milestone but also as a strategic imperative in maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration.
Duffy reaffirmed the administration’s determination:
“The president and I are committed to seeing Americans back on the Moon before China. That’s the race we’re in — and we intend to win it.”
The new lunar space race
With NASA reopening bids and Blue Origin poised to enter the fray, the coming months are likely to define the next phase of the 21st-century space race — one driven not just by national pride but also by private innovation.
While SpaceX remains a dominant force in space technology, its delays have opened a window for rivals like Blue Origin to challenge its lead. For NASA, that competition could be exactly what’s needed to get humans back to the Moon — and eventually on to Mars — sooner rather than later.
