NASA announces major changes to agency’s lunar landing strategy
(MENAFN) NASA has announced a significant overhaul of its Moon landing strategy, citing delays in the development of SpaceX’s Starship lunar lander and increased pressure from the White House to land astronauts on the Moon before China, according to reports.
During an interview on Monday, acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy explained that SpaceX has fallen behind on its $2.9 billion Human Landing System contract. He also noted that President Donald Trump is eager for US astronauts to touch down on the lunar surface within his current term, prompting NASA to reopen competition for new lunar lander designs.
“They’re behind schedule, and so the president wants to make sure we beat the Chinese,” said Duffy, who is also the US transportation secretary. “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.”
This announcement signals NASA’s acknowledgment that a crewed Moon landing by 2027 is now unlikely. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin currently have contracts to develop reusable lunar landers. However, technical challenges such as in-space refueling have slowed progress. Duffy suggested that established aerospace companies, including Lockheed Martin, could enter the competition as well.
Lockheed Martin confirmed that it is exploring alternative lander designs and is prepared to assist NASA “as quickly as possible.”
“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.
Expanding the lunar program could require additional congressional funding, potentially raising total costs to between $20 billion and $30 billion—almost ten times the value of SpaceX’s original contract.
Musk, however, downplayed concerns about delays, writing on X: “SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry … Moreover, Starship will end up doing the whole Moon mission. Mark my words.”
Musk has been a key campaign donor and advisor to Trump, although the two had a disagreement over the summer.
As NASA faces both technical and political pressures, the success of the agency’s lunar ambitions may depend on whether the broader competition Duffy envisions can speed up progress.
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