NASA, SpaceX and moon
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SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk is ratcheting up his high-risk critique of NASA interim administrator Sean Duffy, a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, injecting drama and uncertainty into the nomination process for the agency’s top job.
Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said the agency will open up the Artemis 3 contract to other spaceflight companies because SpaceX has fallen behind schedule.
SpaceX signed the nearly $3 billion government contract in 2021. It helped solidify the fledgling company as a powerhouse in space travel as the country with the most advanced space program gave it the stamp of approval. Since then, SpaceX’s valuation has ballooned from $100 billion to reports of over $400 billion.
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See photos of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket liftoff Oct. 19 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
The Falcon 9 took flight at 1:39 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, from Launch Complex 40 en route to deploying 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
China aims to put its astronauts on the moon by 2030. For NASA to get back there first, it needs SpaceX to quickly complete its Starship rocket — but it faces major hurdles.