Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are competing to return humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, and NASA says speed will decide the winner. Newly confirmed NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency will choose whichever company completes its lunar lander first — SpaceX or Blue Origin.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV on his first day in office, Isaacman said both companies understand that the lander ready first will be selected to meet America’s strategic objectives on the Moon. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin currently hold contracts to develop lunar landers for NASA.
SpaceX’s modified Starship is scheduled to support the Artemis III mission in 2027, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon. However, in October, then–acting NASA chief Sean Duffy reopened SpaceX’s contract, citing delays and suggesting NASA could instead turn to Blue Origin.
Isaacman, who previously flew two private SpaceX missions and participated in the first commercial spacewalk, has past ties to Musk — a factor that briefly complicated his confirmation. The renewed lunar race also follows a recent executive order calling for a permanent U.S. presence on the Moon by 2030.