Big news from NASA! Acting Administrator Sean Duffy just announced theyre reopening the lunar lander contract after SpaceX hit some schedule delays for Artemis III. 🌙
Whats up? SpaceX holds the HLS (Human Landing System) contractbasically the “moon taxi” thatll ferry astronauts from lunar orbit down to the surface. But Duffy says, "competition and innovation are the keys to our dominance in space," so now Blue Origin and other U.S. companies can bid too.
Why it matters: Artemis III aims to land humans near the lunar south polethe first time since Apollo 17 in 1972! The lander will let crews collect moon rocks, run experiments, and scout for future bases before heading back to orbit and home.
Meanwhile, the Orion spacecraft "Integrity" is now locked onto the Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, NASAs next crewed flight around the moon. And yes, thats set for around April 2026, with the Artemis III landing penciled in for mid-2027.
Over on X, Elon Musk shrugged it off, claiming Starship is “moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry” and that Starship could handle the full moon mission. ⚡ But with NASA looking for backups, it's game on for U.S. space giants!
Whats next for us space geeks in South and Southeast Asia? From following Indias Chandrayaan missions to cheaper, faster launches from startups popping up in Singapore and Malaysia, the global space scene is heating up. 🚀💥
Stay tuned as NASA pushes forward—competition could spark new tech breakthroughs and maybe a moon landing sooner than you think. Ready for a lunar selfie? 📸🌕
Reference(s):
NASA to reopen lunar lander contract as SpaceX falls behind schedule
cgtn.com
