"The president wants to make sure we beat the Chinese."
"He wants to get there in his term. So I'm in the process of opening that contract up. I think we'll see companies like Blue [Origin] get involved, and maybe others. We're going to have a space race in regard to American companies competing to see who can actually lead us back to the Moon first."
NASA has determined that SpaceX has fallen behind in developing the Starship vehicle configured as a human lunar lander. NASA recognizes that the projected 2027 crewed lunar-landing target is no longer achievable. NASA plans to reopen and expand the Human Landing System contract competition to invite additional U.S. companies, including Blue Origin, to compete. The President prioritizes achieving a lunar landing within the presidential term and seeks to ensure the United States reaches the Moon before China. SpaceX previously won a $2.9 billion HLS contract in April 2021, and Blue Origin later won a separate contract valued at $3.4 billion.
Read at Ars Technica
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