Transportation Sec. Duffy says Musk's SpaceX is behind on moon trip and he will reopen contracts

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed concerns on Monday regarding SpaceX's progress on the Artemis mission, indicating that the company is lagging behind the scheduled timeline for returning to the moon. Speaking on CNBC's 'Squawk Box', Duffy, who is also the acting NASA administrator, emphasized the urgency of the mission, stating, "We're not going to wait for one company. We will move forward and aim to win the second space race against China. Our goal is clear: return to the moon and establish a permanent base there." As part of NASA's Artemis initiative, SpaceX is one of several contractors involved, tasked with developing a lunar landing system for the Artemis III mission. However, the timeline for upcoming Artemis missions has faced delays, with the next launch now pushed to April 2026 for a crewed flyby around the moon, and a lunar landing for two astronauts scheduled for 2027. Duffy remains optimistic, suggesting the April launch could be advanced to early February 2026, with a target to return to the moon by 2028. Duffy reiterated the competitive nature of the space race, particularly concerning developments in China, stating, "The president and I are committed to reaching the moon within this administration's term, and I will be reopening contracts to ensure we achieve our goals." This comes amid a series of challenges for SpaceX, including recent test launch failures of its Starship rocket and issues with other companies in the sector, like Firefly Aerospace, which experienced an explosion shortly after receiving approval to proceed with its testing.