(MENAFN) In a significant development regarding America’s return to the Moon, NASA's acting administrator has revealed a shift in the agency’s lunar landing plans.

The announcement comes in response to delays in SpaceX’s Starship development and increasing political urgency from the White House to outpace China in lunar exploration, a media outlet reported.

During an interview with a news agency on Monday, Sean Duffy, who also serves as the U.S. transportation secretary, expressed concern over the lag in SpaceX's progress on its $2.9 billion Human Landing System agreement with NASA.

He stated that President Donald Trump aims to see American astronauts return to the Moon during his current term.

As a result, NASA intends to reintroduce open competition for new lunar lander proposals.

“They’re behind schedule, and so the president wants to make sure we beat the Chinese,” Duffy emphasized. “So I’m in the process of opening that contract up. I think we’ll see companies like Blue (Origin) get involved, and maybe others.”

This move signals NASA’s implicit admission that the target of a crewed Moon landing by 2027 is no longer attainable under the current plan.

Although SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin have existing agreements with NASA to develop reusable lunar vehicles, significant engineering challenges—such as the complexity of refueling in space—have hindered progress.

Duffy also suggested that long-standing aerospace companies like Lockheed Martin might join the renewed bidding process.

In a statement released Monday, Lockheed confirmed that it is actively working on alternative lander designs and is prepared to support NASA’s goals “as quickly as possible.”

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