"It's an astonishing twist, showing that NASA is growing wary of SpaceX and its enormous Starship spacecraft falling behind schedule. The rocket's development has been mired in setbacks over the last couple of years, raising concerns among NASA officials that a Human Landing Systems variant may not be ready to deliver astronauts from the Moon's orbit down to the surface as soon as 2027, as part of its Artemis 3 mission."
"The White House has indicated that it doesn't want to fall behind China, which is currently aiming to reach the Moon by 2030. Experts have previously warned that SpaceX could set the space agency up for an ever-slipping timeline, which could result in China beating the United States to the lunar surface. "We're going to have a space race in regard to American companies competing to see who can actually get us back to the Moon first," Duffy told Fox."
NASA is preparing to open the Human Landing System contract to additional companies, including Blue Origin, to ensure an American-led return to the Moon. Concerns about SpaceX's Starship program and schedule setbacks have raised doubts that a Human Landing Systems variant will be ready by the planned 2027 Artemis 3 mission. The White House seeks to avoid falling behind China, which aims to reach the Moon by 2030. Reliance on a single provider could cause an ever-slipping timeline. Competition among U.S. companies is being emphasized to accelerate development and prioritize mission cadence over extended delays.
Read at Futurism
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