Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy said on Monday (October 20) that SpaceX is behind schedule in the US plan to return astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis program.
In an interview with CNBC, Duff said the government would open up the lunar contract to other companies to ensure the US maintains its lead in what he described as a “second space race” with China.
“We’re not going to wait for one company,” Duffy said. “We’ll push it forward and win the second space race against the Chinese. Go back to the moon, set up a camp, a base.”
SpaceX faces delays
Duffy said SpaceX, which holds the contract to land Artemis III on the moon, has pushed back the schedule for its projects, prompting fears of delays. “They’re moving their timelines and we’re in a race with China,” he said. “The president and I want to get to the moon during this president’s term, so I’m going to open the contracts.”
While Duffy praised the company’s achievements, he made it clear that progress had stalled. “By the way, I love SpaceX — it’s an amazing company,” he said. “The problem is they’re behind.
Blue Origin could step in
Duffy mentioned Blue Origin as a potential contender to take over key Artemis responsibilities, adding that the agency is evaluating options to keep its accelerated schedule. He revealed that NASA has pushed back its next Artemis mission from April 2026 to February 2026, with the goal of returning to the lunar surface by 2028.
“I think the April start could be early February,” Duffy said. “We want to go back to the moon in 2028 with two potential companies.”
Artemis and the delay
The Artemis program, launched during Donald Trump’s first term, aims to ensure a long-term human presence on the Moon as a springboard for future missions to Mars. SpaceX won a 2021 contract to provide the lunar landing system for Artemis III, the first planned manned landing on the moon in more than 50 years.
However, in December 2024, NASA postponed several Artemis missions, pushing the next crewed orbital mission to April 2026 and postponing the Moon landing to 2027 due to safety checks and technical issues.
Musk-Trump tension
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, was once a close ally of President Donald Trump, serving as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But relations have cooled in recent months amid disputes over Trump’s taxes and spending, which Musk has criticized.
In June, the White House withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination to head NASA — a move widely seen as part of the administration’s effort to distance the space agency from Musk’s influence.
Duffy, already confirmed as Secretary of Transportation, was named interim head of NASA instead.
