Overview
- In a blog post titled “To the Moon and Beyond,” SpaceX claims Starship is the fastest route to return astronauts to the Moon and to support a sustained lunar presence.
- The company reports 49 Human Landing System milestones completed and 11 Starship test flights, and says it is funding roughly 90% of Starship development and infrastructure.
- SpaceX identifies in-orbit propellant transfer as the central technical hurdle and says it is targeting next year to complete a refueling test in Earth orbit.
- Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said he will open the lander program to more bidders, citing schedule slips and a race with China, and NASA safety advisers have questioned a 2027 crewed landing.
- NASA awarded Blue Origin a $3.4 billion lunar lander contract in 2023 for a planned 2029 mission, and public friction escalated as Elon Musk insulted Duffy on social media and Duffy urged competition.