Duffy: NASA to Reopen Artemis III HLS Contract

Space agency is ‘not going to wait’ for SpaceX’s Starship HLS if a competitor is ready first, official says.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy delivers remarks during a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) on October 6. [Courtesy: C-SPAN]

Key Takeaways:

NASA is reopening the contract for the Artemis III Human Landing System (HLS) due to concerns about SpaceX's Starship readiness.
The decision is driven by a desire to land astronauts on the moon within President Trump's current term and a "race against China" to establish lunar presence.
While SpaceX was the initial contractor, its development delays and technical milestones mean competitors like Blue Origin could now bid for the critical Artemis III landing.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy on Monday revealed a potentially seismic shakeup to the agency’s Artemis lunar landing program.

During an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen on Squawk Box Monday morning, Duffy said NASA will reopen a contract to build the human landing system (HLS) for the Artemis III mission, which will put American astronauts on the moon for the first time since the Apollo era.