SpaceX, Blue Origin Share New Lunar Landing Profiles

Companies are competing for the recently reopened contract to land NASA astronauts on the moon.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, November 01, 2025 at 10:30 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

An artist’s concept depicts SpaceX’s Starship human landing system (HLS) on the lunar surface. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

NASA is re-evaluating the Human Landing System (HLS) for the Artemis III lunar mission, inviting broader industry proposals due to SpaceX's development delays.
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin have submitted revised landing architectures aimed at potentially accelerating NASA's timeline for the mission.
SpaceX's Starship HLS development is behind schedule, with a critical orbital propellant transfer demonstration now targeted for 2026, a major hurdle for its large vehicle.
Blue Origin, already contracted for Artemis V, is positioned as a strong competitor, potentially conducting an uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 lander test flight this year.

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With NASA’s first lunar landing since the Apollo era only a few years away, the space agency has yet to determine exactly how its astronauts will reach the moon.

On Thursday, a NASA spokesperson told CNBC that both Blue Origin and SpaceX—which has been developing its Starship human landing system (HLS) for the mission, Artemis III, since 2023—have submitted revised landing architectures that could accelerate the agency’s timeline.