Duffy also mentions “maybe others” getting involved. This applies to the third option. In recent weeks, officials with classic space companies told Duffy and Department of Transportation Chief of Staff Pete Meachum that they could build a lander resembling the Apollo lunar module within 30 months. Sources say Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s deputy administrator, favors a government-led approach.
In a statement to Ars on Monday, a Lockheed Martin official confirmed that the company was ready for NASA’s call.
“Throughout the year, Lockheed Martin has conducted significant technical and programmatic analysis of lunar landers that would provide NASA with options for a safe solution to return humans to the Moon as quickly as possible,” said Bob Behnken, vice president of exploration and technology strategy at Lockheed Martin Space. “We have been working with a cross-industry team of companies and together we look forward to fulfilling Secretary Duffy’s request to advance our nation’s lunar goals.”
NASA would not be able to easily terminate existing crewed lander system contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin because, especially for the former, a significant portion of the funding has already been committed to milestone payments. Rather, Duffy would likely have to find novel funding from Congress. And it wouldn’t be affordable. This NASA analysis in 2017 estimated that a viable and exclusive lunar lander would cost between $20 billion and $30 billion, almost 10 times more than NASA awarded SpaceX in 2021.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk, responding to Duffy’s comments, seemed to relish the challenge posed by industry competitors.
“SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry.” Musk said on his social networking site X. “Furthermore, Starship will complete its mission across the entire Moon. Mark my words.”
Time
Duffy’s remarks on television Monday morning, while significant to the broader space community, also seemed intended for an audience of one: President Trump.
The president in July named Duffy, who already led the Department of Transportation, to lead NASA on an interim basis. This came six weeks after the president rescinded the nomination of billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to head the space agency for political reasons.