The leading US Senate committee is directing NASA to select a second company to develop its lunar lander for the Artemis program, backed by a modest budget increase.
In April 2021, NASA selected SpaceX as its sole provider for the Human Landing System (HLS) under Artemis, aiming to return humans to the Moon this decade. This choice surprised observers who anticipated two winners from the three finalists to foster competition. NASA cited insufficient resources to support two teams.
The decision prompted protests and lawsuits from rivals Blue Origin and Dynetics, halting HLS development temporarily. Legal proceedings continue, with expectations that at least one will succeed.
On Tuesday, October 18, the Senate Appropriations Committee—the key overseer of discretionary spending—urged NASA to onboard a second contractor.
This includes a $100 million budget extension, per SpaceNews, enabling NASA to "provide redundancy and concurrency, including strong research, development, test, and evaluation support for no less than two HLS teams."
NASA must submit a detailed integration plan to Congress within 30 days of the bill's passage, including budget projections through 2026.
Artemis faces delays: The Space Launch System (SLS) for the first uncrewed mission, originally set for November, now slips to next summer.
Subsequent missions will shift too. Artemis II, orbiting the Moon with crew, eyes 2023 or 2024, while Artemis III—human lunar landing—is at earliest 2025.
