NASA explores alternative Moon landers beyond SpaceX: Here's why

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is urgently seeking backup plans for its Artemis III moon landing potentially moving away from its primary partner, Space X.

The decision is made due to development delays by SpaceX and increasing competitive pressures from China.

This announcement was made by acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy, who recently suggested SpaceX could be removed from the mission.

SpaceX currently holds a $2.9 billion contract to use its Starship rocket as a lunar lander. But the complex development of Starship needs unprecedented orbital refuelling that causes delays due to several test-flight explosions. These setbacks threaten NASA’s timeline.

China aims to land astronauts by 2030, a target Duffy has labeled a “national security imperative.”

To combat this, other companies are proposing faster alternatives. Blue Origin (owned by Jeff Bezos), which already has a contract for Artemis, is suggesting a lander with no complex orbital refuelling.

Another company, Lockheed Martin, suggests to provide a two-stage lander built from spare parts of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, suggesting that using existing hardware is the quickest path.

Despite the proposals, experts suggest that the typical timeline to build a spacecraft ranges six to seven years. Another hurdle is funding, as starting a new program would be exorbitantly expensive.

For now, NASA is reviewing all options, potentially redirecting America’s path back to the moon.