NASA Opens SpaceX's Moon Lander Contract to Rivals
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Elon Musk called the transportation secretary ‘Sean Dummy’ on X Tuesday, after Duffy suggested NASA may sideline SpaceX from its moon mission.
SpaceX signed the nearly $3 billion government contract in 2021. It helped solidify the fledgling company as a powerhouse in space travel as the country with the most advanced space program gave it the stamp of approval. Since then, SpaceX’s valuation has ballooned from $100 billion to reports of over $400 billion.
NASA may sideline SpaceX and select a different company to land its astronauts on the moon, which the agency is planning for later this decade, acting space agency chief Sean Duffy suggested during TV appearances on Monday,
NASA may drop SpaceX and choose a different contractor for the Artemis III moon landing, as delays mount with SpaceX's Starship vehicle. NASA chief Sean Duffy emphasised the urgency of returning humans to the moon before China and indicated plans to open the contract for competition.