What’s Gone Wrong Between NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX?
NASA has reopened the lunar landing contract previously awarded to SpaceX to allow competition. Both SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have submitted revised plans aimed at returning US astronauts to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission.
Artemis III intends to send the first American astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. Initially, in April 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to build the lunar lander, based on a modified version of its Starship spacecraft.
Reasons for Reopening the Contract
On October 20, 2025, Sean Duffy, NASA’s acting administrator, announced the decision to reopen the bidding process. The primary reason was delays in the Starship program.
“We are reopening the contract to competitors, including Blue Origin, due to delays with Starship.”
Challenges with Starship
Starship’s large scale and ambitious goals lie at the core of the problems. The spacecraft will stand 50 meters (approximately 165 feet) tall on the Moon and is designed to deliver a payload of up to 100,000 kg to the lunar surface.
Human-rated space vehicles must undergo rigorous certification to ensure safety for crewed missions. This includes multiple tests of individual components and the assembled vehicle. However, Starship’s ongoing testing program has become the longest in space launch history.
The Starship upper stage, which will carry astronauts, completed seven short test flights reaching up to 12.5 km altitude between 2020 and 2021. Out of these, only the final test flight, SN15, successfully landed.
Summary
NASA’s decision reflects concerns about Starship’s developmental delays and the complexities of certifying such a novel and large spacecraft for crewed lunar missions.
Author’s Summary
Delays in SpaceX’s Starship program have led NASA to reopen the Artemis III lunar lander contract, highlighting challenges in certifying large, ambitious spacecraft for crewed missions.
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