NASA's Chief Shakes Up Plans to Land on the Moon
In a surprise move, NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy announced on Monday that the space agency will expand its competition for a lunar lander capable of carrying humans down to the Moon from lunar orbit and back. This decision comes after SpaceX, one of the leading contenders, fell behind schedule in developing the Starship vehicle.
Speaking on Fox News, Duffy stated, "They're behind schedule, and so the President wants to make sure we beat the Chinese." He added that he intends to open up the contract for a lunar lander to other companies, including Blue Origin. This move is seen as an effort to spark a new space race among American companies.
The original plan was to have a crewed lunar landing by 2027, but Duffy's comments suggest that this target may no longer be achievable. The decision to expand the competition has sparked both excitement and concern within the space community.
Background on NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon dates back to 2019 when President Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, which aimed to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface by 2028. Since then, NASA has been working with private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop the necessary technology.
The expansion of the competition for a lunar lander is seen as an opportunity for other companies to get involved in the space race. "This is a great development for the industry," said Dr. Maria Zuber, a planetary scientist at MIT. "It's a chance for new players to enter the market and bring innovative solutions to the table."
The current status of NASA's plans remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the space agency will continue to push forward with its lunar ambitions. As Duffy stated on Fox News, "We're going to have a space race in regard to American companies competing to see who can actually lead us back to the Moon first."
*Reporting by Arstechnica.*
