SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk is ratcheting up his high-risk critique of NASA interim administrator Sean Duffy, a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, injecting drama and uncertainty into the nomination process for the agency’s top job.

In April 2021, NASA awarded Elon Musk's company a $2.9 billion contract to provide the first crewed lunar lander for the agency's Artemis program. That vehicle, a modified upper stage of SpaceX's Starship megarocket, is supposed to land astronauts on the moon for the first time on the upcoming Artemis 3 mission.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said SpaceX is “behind schedule” and thwarting the space agency’s ability to beat China back to the moon.

Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said the agency will open up the Artemis 3 contract to other spaceflight companies because SpaceX has fallen behind schedule.

Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy says SpaceX is falling behind on Artemis III, so they could lose a contract.

NASA's acting administrator accused SpaceX on Monday of falling "behind" and said he plans to reopen contracts to get U.S. astronauts "back to the moon in 2028."

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.

The Falcon 9 took flight at 1:39 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, from Launch Complex 40 en route to deploying 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.