Trump taps more firms to challenge China in space
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Donald Trump plans to open NASA’s Artemis III contract to more firms as SpaceX falls behind, aiming for a Moon landing before China by 2029.
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SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 (AP)
Donald Trump plans to add more companies to the Artemis III Moon mission contract because SpaceX is running behind schedule, as reported on Monday by US Transportation Secretary and interim NASA administrator Sean Duffy.
"Artemis III is when we land back on the Moon. That's going to be about a year and a half, two years from now. SpaceX has the contract. SpaceX is an amazing company. They do remarkable things, but they're behind schedule. So, the President [Trump] wants to make sure we beat the Chinese. He wants to get there in his term. So, I'm in the process of opening that contract up," Duffy told Fox News.
Duffy mentioned that he anticipates the private space company Blue Origin, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, along with other firms, will compete to return to the Moon ahead of China.
"Blue Origin has never delivered a payload to orbit, let alone the Moon," Musk stated, expressing his doubts about Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos' space aspirations.
Despite the Artemis III program being behind schedule, Duffy expressed confidence that the United States will achieve a lunar return by January 2029, a date that falls before Trump leaves the White House. The Artemis III mission, through which NASA plans to send astronauts to the Moon, is scheduled for mid-2027.
Noting in September that the United States is leading in space, Duffy also pointed out that the country will do everything to complete the Mars Sample Return program ahead of any other country, including China, and send people to Mars in the early 2030s.
