NASA has announced it will reopen bidding for its lunar lander contract amid delays in SpaceX's development timeline for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2027. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy emphasized the need for "competition and innovation" in a social media post, inviting Blue Origin and other U.S. firms to participate.
SpaceX, contracted to build the Human Landing System (HLS) using its Starship spacecraft, remains behind schedule according to agency officials. "They do remarkable things, but they're behind schedule," Duffy told Fox News, noting the White House's goal to achieve a crewed lunar landing before January 2029.
The Artemis III mission will mark humanity's first moon landing since 1972, focusing on exploring the lunar south pole. Meanwhile, NASA confirmed the completion of Artemis II hardware, with the Orion spacecraft "Integrity" now attached to the Space Launch System rocket for a 2026 crewed lunar flyby.
Elon Musk dismissed concerns about delays, asserting on social media that Starship will "end up doing the whole moon mission." The revised Artemis timeline now targets mid-2027 for the lunar landing, with industry analysts watching how new bidders might accelerate progress.
