New NASA Lunar Contest Could Create Rivalry Between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos
The US space agency has reopened the lunar lander contract previously held exclusively by SpaceX, inviting competition. The United States and China are currently vying to become the first nation in fifty years to send humans back to the Moon.
An emerging contest among American companies to build the lunar landing vehicle may put Elon Musk against billionaire Jeff Bezos. This internal competition has already sparked a public dispute between Musk and NASA’s acting chief, Sean Duffy, revealing disagreements about the agency’s leadership and direction.
SpaceX and NASA's Artemis III Mission
In April 2021, SpaceX was awarded the contract to develop the lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis III mission, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The lander is based on SpaceX’s innovative Starship vehicle, developed at its South Texas facility.
- Since April 2023, SpaceX has conducted 11 test flights of Starship.
- The launches in August and October 2025 succeeded.
- However, the three previous flights failed due to issues with the upper stage, known as the “ship,” which is designed to carry astronauts.
Challenges and Growing Pressure
With China's significant advancements and ambitions on the Moon, pressure has mounted on SpaceX to accelerate progress, though the achievement of milestones remains somewhat subjective.
Sean Duffy announced on October 20 that he was opening up SpaceX’s US$4 billion lunar lander contract to competition.
This decision intensifies the rivalry between American aerospace giants and emphasizes the high stakes involved in leading the new era of lunar exploration.
Author's Summary
The reopening of NASA's lunar lander contract has intensified competition within the US space industry, potentially setting Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos against each other in the race to return astronauts to the Moon amid growing pressure from China.