"By the way, I love SpaceX, it's an amazing company. The problem is they're behind. They've pushed their timelines out and we're in a race against China. The president and I want to get to the moon in this president's term, so I'm going to open up the contracts, he added. I'm going to let other space companies compete with SpaceX, like Blue Origin."
"In 2021, Nasa announced a $2.89bn contract with Musk's SpaceX to develop a landing system, using the company's Starship landing system, that will carry humans to the moon's orbit and surface. While Nasa is also working with other commercial companies, including Blue Origins owned by Jeff Bezos and the defense companies Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman and Draper for other components of the project, SpaceX plays a key role as the company building the actual landing system."
Nasa will open Artemis lunar landing contracts to additional companies because SpaceX's Starship program is behind schedule. Interim Nasa head Sean Duffy said SpaceX had the contract for Artemis III but has pushed timelines out. The president and Duffy want a crewed moon mission within the president's term and plan to allow competition from companies such as Blue Origin. Nasa awarded a $2.89bn contract to SpaceX in 2021 to develop a Starship-based human landing system. Nasa also works with Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper on other project components. Nasa announced delays: Artemis crewed flyaround planned for April 2026 and a landing now targeted for mid-2027. SpaceX's Starship experienced several failed launches following its 2023 testing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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