BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is taking aim at NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, on social media.
Musk has publicly criticized Duffy after the agency announced plans to reopen competition for its next moon mission’s human landing system.
The contract to develop a crewed moon lander was initially awarded to SpaceX in 2021 for the Artemis 3 mission.
SpaceX is currently developing a version of its Starship spacecraft for that mission.
“When it finally gets to the point that it can launch, land reliably, put people on it, refuel, it’s an incredibly capable machine beyond anything anybody has ever had or will have anywhere else for a long time,” said Keith Cowing of NASA Watch, praising the capabilities of SpaceX’s Starship.
Officials said the decision to reopen the competition comes as NASA aims to ensure the best possible technology for its lunar missions.
This move has sparked debate within the space community, with some supporting the need for competition to drive innovation and others concerned about potential delays.
The Trump administration expressed a desire to return to the moon before a planned missing by China.
NASA is currently planning to land Artimus 3 on the moon in mid-2027.
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