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Musk’s SpaceX is behind on Artemis moon launch

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is “behind” the US timeline on returning to the moon with Artemis and will open the contract to other companies, Transport Minister Sean Duffy said on Monday.

“We’re not going to wait for one company,” Duffy, who currently serves as acting NASA administrator, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday. “We will take this further and win the second space race against the Chinese. Go back to the moon, set up a camp and base.”

SpaceX did not immediately return a request for comment.

SpaceX is among several contractors participating NASA’s Artemis missionIt aims to establish “the first long-term presence on the Moon” and prepare for missions to Mars. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Boeing’s, LockheedMartin And Northrop Grumman They also support the mission.

SpaceX has won a contract to provide a lunar landing system for astronauts in 2021. Artemis III mission.

In December, NASA postponed the next Artemis missions; The next launch to send astronauts around the moon and back has been postponed to April 2026, and a trip to land two astronauts in the Moon’s south polar region has been moved to 2027.

Duffy said Monday he thinks an April launch could happen in early February and that the agency plans to “go back to the moon in 2028” with two potential companies. Duffy highlighted Blue Origin as a potential takeover rival.

“They’re pushing their timelines forward and we’re in a race against China,” Duffy said of SpaceX. “The president and I want to go to the moon under this president, so I’m going to open contracts.”

Musk replied “Blue Origin has never carried a payload into orbit, let alone the Moon,” he claimed to Duffy on his social network X on Monday.

The first flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully delivered a test payload into space. New Glenn is a potential rival and alternative to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

After Musk’s followers confronted him about the mistake, Musk said about 40 minutes later: another post“(Useful load).”

Rocket testing hasn’t always gone smoothly for SpaceX and the space industry.

The company launched its eleventh Starship test rocket earlier this month after a series of obstacles and explosions. Firefly Aviation‘s Alpha rocket exploded shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration last month cleared To continue testing.

The ongoing government shutdown could hurt plans to reopen conventions. CNBC’s request for comment on the contracting process was answered with an automated response that the agency had been shut down.

CNBC previously reported that NASA employees working with contractors such as SpaceX and Blue Origin on Artemis missions will continue to work during the shutdown.