After Musk Meltdown, SpaceX Pivots to ‘Simplified’ Moon Lander Plan
SpaceX has taken a more measured approach to NASA’s recent concerns over its Human Landing System (HLS) project—one that’s notably more productive than Elon Musk’s online tirades, where he labeled NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy as “Sean Dummy.”
Rather than insisting that its existing design is flawless, SpaceX now says it’s developing a “simplified” version of the lander, which is based on the upper stage of its massive, still-in-development Starship rocket.
The update came in an unusually comprehensive post from the company. The nearly 2,000-word statement detailed recent progress on Starship—which completed its 11th test flight in October—and on several key HLS components, including its life-support and communications systems, airlock, and the elevator that will lower astronauts and cargo to the Moon’s surface from the top of the towering lander.
SpaceX also revealed plans for a 2026 test of the crucial orbital refueling process. Since Starship’s upper stage reaches orbit with mostly empty tanks, it must be refueled multiple times by other Starships before heading to the Moon—a complex process NASA accepted when it awarded SpaceX a $2.89 billion HLS contract in 2021. That contract has since grown to $4 billion, with $2.7 billion already paid.
Under NASA’s Artemis program, astronauts will travel from Earth aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft, launched by the Space Launch System rocket, before transferring to SpaceX’s HLS for the lunar landing and then returning to Earth in Orion.
However, delays in SpaceX’s schedule—both against its own projections and compared to China’s accelerating lunar ambitions—prompted Duffy to announce on Oct. 20 that NASA would reopen bids for the Artemis III lander. Originally targeted for 2026, the mission is now slated for 2028 and would mark the first U.S. lunar landing since 1972.
Duffy, who also serves as President Trump’s Secretary of Transportation, pointed to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin as a potential alternative. Musk responded by spending much of the following day criticizing Duffy on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite the online drama, SpaceX’s latest post emphasized cooperation with NASA and alignment with its evolving mission goals.
“Since the contract was awarded, we have been consistently responsive to NASA as requirements for Artemis III have changed,” SpaceX said. “In response to the latest calls, we’ve shared and are formally assessing a simplified mission architecture that will enable a faster return to the Moon while improving crew safety.”
SpaceX didn’t offer further details, nor did Blue Origin, which is reportedly exploring ways to adapt its Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander to carry astronauts. The company already holds a $3.4 billion NASA contract, awarded in 2023, to develop its larger Blue Moon Mark 2 for Artemis V and future missions. Both landers will launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which reached orbit for the first time in January and is preparing for a second flight.
Mark 2 will need orbital refueling, while Mark 1 will not.
NASA confirmed that both companies have submitted revised proposals.
“NASA has received and will be evaluating plans from both SpaceX and Blue Origin for acceleration of HLS production,” agency spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said Friday. “A committee of NASA experts will review each proposal and determine the best path forward as we pursue a safe, transparent return to the Moon amid increasing international competition.”