NASA to reopen Artemis 3 HLS contract

U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy delivers remarks throughout a press convention at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (KEWR) on October 6. Credit score: C-SPAN

U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy on Monday revealed a probably seismic shakeup to the company’s Artemis lunar touchdown program.

Throughout an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen on Squawk Field Monday morning, Duffy stated NASA will reopen a contract to construct the human touchdown system (HLS) for the Artemis 3 mission, which is able to put American astronauts on the moon for the primary time for the reason that Apollo period.

The contract was initially awarded to SpaceX, which Duffy described as an “wonderful firm.” However he expressed concern that its Starship HLS gained’t be prepared in time for the mission, suggesting Blue Origin or one other competitor may step as much as the plate.

“The issue is that they’re behind,” Duffy stated. “They pushed their timelines out, and we’re in a race in opposition to China. The president and I wish to get to the moon on this president’s time period.”

President Donald Trump’s second time period concludes in January 2029, suggesting that Duffy and NASA leaders could have considerations in regards to the mid-2027 timeline set for Artemis 3 in December 2024. Duffy on Monday stated the Artemis 2 mission — which is able to fly across the moon with crew however skip the touchdown — may launch as quickly as February. He added that Artemis 3 would fly “a pair years after that.”

Per a June 2024 Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO) report, NASA internally predicts with 70 p.c confidence that the Starship HLS might be able to fly by February 2028. It has not publicly revised its mid-2027 goal.

SpaceX’s latest take a look at flights of the gargantuan Starship rocket, round which the HLS is predicated, have proven promise after a collection of explosions earlier in 2025. However the car should nonetheless obtain a number of milestones — together with an uncrewed lunar touchdown demonstration — earlier than it’s human-rated. Based on Payload Professional, NASA has already paid SpaceX 65 p.c of the roughly $4 billion it has gained for HLS work.

“No matter one can get us there first, to the moon, we’re going to take,” Duffy stated. “And if SpaceX is behind, however Blue Origin can do it earlier than them, good on Blue Origin … We’re not going to attend for one firm.”

How we’ll get there

NASA doesn’t possess a car that’s licensed for human missions to the moon. To acquire one, it has enlisted the non-public sector.

SpaceX is anticipated to supply the HLS for Artemis 3 and Artemis 4. Blue Origin has additionally acquired billions of {dollars} to develop its Blue Moon lander, which is slated to debut on Artemis 5. Different Artemis contractors embrace Boeing, which is constructing a portion of NASA’s Area Launch System (SLS), and Lockheed Martin, the lead contractor for NASA’s Orion capsule.

SLS and Orion will transport 4 astronauts to lunar orbit. There, they may dock with the HLS, which might additionally function a crew base on the moon. The lander will must be able to braving the cruel lunar south pole, the place temperatures can plunge under minus-200 levels Fahrenheit. Researchers consider the area could harbor water ice or different supplies that would elucidate the moon’s historical past.

Trials and tribulations

SpaceX has some work to do in an effort to put together the Starship HLS for Artemis 3.

For one, it might want to exhibit that it may well really attain the moon. Regardless of its huge measurement, Starship doesn’t carry sufficient propellant to make it in a single go. As an alternative, it should cease at an orbital gas depot to reload propellant earlier than persevering with its journey. Such a maneuver has by no means been achieved.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in August predicted that the corporate would exhibit propellant switch between ships by subsequent 12 months. After that, a collection of Starship tanker missions will inventory the orbital depot. Finishing these targets on schedule would require SpaceX to ramp up the launch cadence of Starship, which is supposed to be reusable. The corporate has already caught and reflown Tremendous Heavy boosters however has but to attain the feat with Starship itself.

As soon as the orbital depot is up and operating, SpaceX can even be required to finish an uncrewed lunar touchdown demonstration. It beforehand predicted that will happen in 2024 or 2025.

SpaceX made regular progress on Starship in 2023 and 2024, with every take a look at flight reaching greater than the final. Issues arose with the introduction of the extra highly effective Starship Model 2 (V2), which exploded on the way in which up throughout consecutive flights in January and March. The rocket made it farther on its following flight in Might however nonetheless didn’t hit key targets. Then, in June, one other V2 Starship exploded on the take a look at stand.

SpaceX printed a prolonged dissection of those incidents forward of Flight 10 in August, making modifications to enhance the car’s reliability. They seem to have been efficient, with Flights 10 and 11 making it to splashdown and offering vital knowledge on the ship’s warmth protect.

The latter flight in October is anticipated to be Starship V2’s final. Subsequent 12 months, SpaceX plans to introduce Model 3 (V3), which is billed as yet one more main improve. V3 will introduce bigger propellant tanks, improved Raptor engines, and a better payload capability than NASA’s Saturn V. It’s anticipated to hold out the car’s first orbital exams and operations — together with the propellant switch demonstration.

Notably, Duffy’s resolution to reopen the Artemis 3 HLS competitors coincides with studies that Trump is contemplating a renewed NASA chief nomination for Jared Isaacman — the non-public astronaut and SpaceX ally whom the White Home surprisingly faraway from consideration in June. Isaacman has bought 4 non-public missions from SpaceX and flown on two.

Pushing ahead

Duffy on Monday made clear that the White Home views Artemis as a precedence, with China planning its personal moon touchdown in 2030.

“We’re going to push this ahead and win the second area race in opposition to the Chinese language, get again to the moon, arrange a camp, a base, and from there, we’re going to determine how we are able to really get to Mars,” he stated.

The positioning of Artemis as a stepping stone to Mars aligns with Trump’s public remarks and the White Home’s fiscal 12 months 2026 finances request. Trump in his inaugural deal with, for instance, invoked Mars however didn’t point out the moon. The finances, in the meantime, would add $647 million to fund human area exploration on the expense of science missions, corresponding to Mars Pattern Return or analyses of Earth’s ambiance.

“There’s numerous businesses that may cope with local weather,” Duffy stated Monday. “There’s just one that does human area exploration, and that’s NASA. And that’s what we’ve refocused on.”

The requested lower of about 24 p.c of NASA’s top-line funding would symbolize the biggest single-year discount within the area company’s historical past, per The Planetary Society. Some area business stakeholders — together with Mars exploration advocates — have warned that the cuts to science packages may hinder exploration initiatives like Artemis.