Overview
- Acting administrator Sean Duffy said NASA will solicit alternatives to SpaceX’s Artemis III lander, citing schedule slips and the push to beat China to a crewed Moon return.
- Duffy explicitly named Blue Origin as a contender and said other U.S. companies could vie to deliver a lunar landing capability sooner.
- NASA confirmed it asked industry to propose ways to speed development and increase mission cadence, setting an Oct. 29 deadline for SpaceX and Blue Origin.
- Elon Musk escalated a public feud on X, insulting Duffy after the agency signaled it would open competition beyond SpaceX’s Starship lander.
- Analyses note that changing course would be legally and financially complex and could require new congressional funds, with officials acknowledging a 2027 landing is no longer realistic.