NASA's Boss Just Shook Up the Agency's Plans to Land on the Moon

"Duffy also cites "maybe others" getting involved. This refers to a third option. In recent weeks, officials from traditional space companies have been telling Duffy and the chief of staff at the Department of Transportation, Pete Meachum, that they can build an Apollo Lunar Module-like lander within 30 months. Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, favors this government-led approach, sources said."

""Throughout this year, Lockheed Martin has been performing significant technical and programmatic analysis for human lunar landers that would provide options to NASA for a safe solution to return humans to the moon as quickly as possible," said Bob Behnken, vice president of exploration and technology strategy at Lockheed Martin Space. "We have been working with a cross-industry team of companies, and together we are looking forward to addressing Secretary Duffy's request to meet our country's lunar objectives.""

"NASA would not easily be able to rip up its existing human lander system contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin, as, especially with the former, much of the funding has already been awarded for milestone payments. Rather, Duffy would likely have to find new funding from Congress. And it would not be cheap. This NASA analysis from 2017 estimates that a cost-plus, sole-source lunar lander would cost $20 billion to $30 billion, or nearly 10 times what NASA awarded to SpaceX in 2021."

Officials from traditional space companies told Duffy and DOT chief of staff Pete Meachum they can build an Apollo Lunar Module–like lander within 30 months. NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya favors a government-led lander approach. Lockheed Martin says it has conducted technical and programmatic analysis, is working with a cross-industry team, and stands ready to support a rapid, safe human lunar lander. Existing contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin are difficult to cancel because milestone payments have been awarded. Duffy would need Congress to appropriate new funding, and a 2017 NASA analysis estimated a sole-source cost-plus lander at $20–30 billion. Elon Musk says Starship will perform the entire moon mission.

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