New Nasa lunar contest could pit Elon Musk against Jeff Bezos, as US fears China will win race to Moon

US Lunar Lander Contract Opens to Competition

The US space agency has decided to open the lunar lander contract, previously held exclusively by SpaceX, to competitive bidding. This move reflects the intensifying race between the United States and China to send humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Emerging Rivalry Between American Billionaires

The contest for the lunar lander contract could spark a showdown between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, two leading billionaires in the space industry. This rivalry has already led to public disputes, including a war of words between Musk and NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, highlighting disagreements about the agency’s leadership and direction.

SpaceX’s Artemis III Lander Effort

In April 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX the contract to develop the lunar landing vehicle for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return Americans to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The lander is based on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, an innovative spacecraft under development at the company’s South Texas facility.

From April 2023 to October 2025, SpaceX conducted 11 test flights of Starship. While recent launches in August and October 2025 succeeded, three earlier attempts ended with failures in the upper stage, the portion meant to carry astronauts.

Growing Pressure Over Lunar Supremacy

With China advancing strongly in its lunar ambitions, there is increasing pressure on SpaceX to accelerate progress, though what defines critical milestones can vary in interpretation.

Sean Duffy stated on October 20: "We are opening up SpaceX’s US$4 billion lunar lander contract for competition."
Author’s Summary

The reopening of NASA's lunar lander contract could spark a fierce battle between American space companies, reflecting broader US concerns about Chinese lunar ambitions and internal agency challenges.

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The Conversation The Conversation — 2025-11-01

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