NASA threatens to pull SpaceX's Artemis III contract, re-open competition

NASA threatens to pull SpaceX's Artemis III contract

On Monday, Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy went on Fox & Friends and made the announcement about re-opening the lunar lander contract for Artemis III.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Monday, Oct. 20, Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy went on Fox & Friends and made the announcement about re-opening the lunar lander contract for Artemis III.

SpaceX's Starship is the vehicle that was supposed to complete the landing, but Duffy said SpaceX isn't holding up their end of the deal and falling behind.

What Happened:

Secretary Duffy has expressed concerns about China beating the U.S. in the exploration of the Moon, and he believes new competition on American soil could help NASA get ahead. 

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However, since the announcement, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk and others have gone after Duffy on social media and haec called for his removal.

What they're saying:

Secretary Duffy says competition on American soil could supercharge the space race and give the U.S. an edge over other countries.

"I think we’ll see companies like Blue get involved and maybe others. We’re going to have a space race in terms of American companies competing to see who can actually get us back to the Moon first," said Sean Duffy, who’s filling in as NASA’s Admin since an official appointment hasn’t been made.

Some space experts say a new contract won’t automatically help the U.S. win the space race and are concerned about all the tax dollars that have already gone to SpaceX for the mission.

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"We’re going to just try another way which make cost tens of billions of dollars on top of what’s already been spent. I think, quite frankly, a bit of this is theater," Keith Cowing, a former NASA scientist who now runs NASA Watch, which is an online publication tracking developments at NASA, said. 

Musk fired up on social media

Musk is fired up about his company under fire. He’s made several posts defending Starship over the last few days.

"SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry… Starship will end up doing the whole Moon mission. Mark my words."

Another was more direct against Duffy.

Musk posted on X, "Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!"

Dig deeper:

In 2021, NASA, under the Biden administration, awarded SpaceX a $2.89 billion contract to develop the first commercial human lander that will carry the next American astronauts to the lunar surface, part of the Artemis Moon program.

[Credit: SpaceX]

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will carry four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for their multi-day journey to lunar orbit. There, two crew members were to transfer to the SpaceX human landing system (HLS) for the final leg of their journey to the surface of the Moon.

NASA's SLS rocket undergoes fueling after sunset on November 15, 2022. (FOX photo)

SpaceX’s HLS Starship is intended to evolve to a fully reusable launch and landing system, SpaceX says, designed for travel to the moon, Mars, and other destinations.

NASA said with its Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, HLS, and the Gateway lunar outpost, NASA and its commercial and international partners are returning to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation.

The Gateway will be an outpost orbiting the Moon that provides vital support for a sustainable, long-term human return to the lunar surface, as well as a staging point for deep space exploration. {Credit: NASA]

To date, only 12 people, all Americans, have landed on the Moon. The last NASA astronaut to set foot on the Moon was Apollo 17 Mission Commander Gene Cernan on Dec. 14, 1972.