A suggestion made last week by acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy that SpaceX could be booted from the agency’s upcoming moon-landing plans has rocked the space industry.

Now, behind the scenes, pitches for alternate paths to the lunar surface are quietly starting to take shape.

Related video above: NASA, India to launch 'trailblazing' new satellite into space

SpaceX currently has a $2.9 billion contract to prepare its gargantuan Starship rocket system to ferry astronauts to the moon’s surface as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission. However, citing delays in Starship’s development and competitive pressure from China, NASA asked SpaceX and Blue Origin — which holds a separate lunar lander contract with the space agency — to submit plans to expedite development of their respective spacec

See Full Page