Tensions have deepened between SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk and the United States space agency, NASA, following the agency’s decision to invite new bids for its upcoming Moon mission, citing continued delays in SpaceX’s Starship rocket development.
The disagreement began after NASA’s acting administrator and U.S. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, announced that the agency would be opening additional contracts to other aerospace companies to help advance its Artemis program. The program, which seeks to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in more than fifty years, has faced several postponements due to technical challenges and extended timelines.
Speaking on Fox News, Duffy said while SpaceX remains a groundbreaking company, the persistent setbacks in its rocket tests have made it necessary for NASA to consider other capable partners. “I love SpaceX; it’s an amazing company. The problem is, they’re behind. They’ve pushed their timelines out, and we’re in a race against China,” he said, stressing the urgency of maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration.
Musk, however, reacted sharply to Duffy’s comments, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse the NASA chief of undermining the space agency’s mission. “Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!” the billionaire entrepreneur wrote in frustration, using a mocking nickname for the administrator. He insisted that SpaceX’s progress remained unmatched in the aerospace industry, adding, “SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry. Starship will end up doing the whole Moon mission—mark my words.”
NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, which aims to achieve the first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo era, was initially scheduled for 2025 but has now been rescheduled to mid-2027. Experts say SpaceX still faces major technical hurdles with its Starship rocket, including a fully successful orbital flight and safe landing, before it can be certified for human missions. The delay has increased pressure on NASA as China advances its own lunar ambitions, targeting 2030 for its first manned Moon landing—a timeline that U.S. officials fear could eclipse America’s renewed lunar efforts.
Duffy later reinforced his position on social media, emphasising that the United States cannot afford to fall behind. He stated that the country needed “the best companies to operate at a speed that gets us to the Moon first,” while hinting at possible new contracts involving Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and other private firms.
The ongoing dispute has unfolded amid leadership uncertainty within NASA. Former President Donald Trump had earlier nominated businessman and astronaut Jared Isaacman, a close associate of Musk, to head the agency permanently. However, the White House unexpectedly withdrew the nomination in May, shortly after Musk’s public fallout with Trump. Recent reports suggest that Trump may be reconsidering Isaacman for the position, while Duffy continues to push to retain his current role as acting administrator.
Despite the tension, NASA still relies heavily on SpaceX for critical missions, including crew and cargo transportation to the International Space Station. Industry observers believe that while SpaceX remains central to the agency’s long-term strategy, the strained relationship between Musk and NASA’s leadership could test the future of their collaboration.
As both sides trade public jabs, questions are mounting about whether cooperation or competition will define America’s next chapter in lunar exploration. For now, the fate of the Artemis mission—and the country’s quest to reclaim its dominance in space—appears to hang in the balance.
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Tensions Flare Between Elon Musk And NASA Over Moon Mission Delays
Tensions have deepened between SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk and the United States space agency, NASA, following the agency’s decision to invite new bids
