Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is temporarily leading NASA, said on Monday that Elon Musk‘s aerospace firm, SpaceX (PC:SPXEX), is falling behind schedule on the Artemis program, which is meant to return the U.S. to the moon. He explained that the government won’t rely on only one company to meet its goals and plans to open the lunar landing contract to others. Speaking with CNBC, Duffy said that the U.S. needs to push forward quickly to win what he called “the second space race” with China by getting back to the moon and building a long-term base.
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It’s worth mentioning that SpaceX was awarded the contract in 2021 to develop a lunar landing system for Artemis III, but both NASA and SpaceX have faced delays due to technical difficulties. For instance, SpaceX’s eleventh Starship test earlier this month came after a series of failed attempts, while Firefly Aerospace’s (FLY) Alpha rocket exploded just last month. As a result, the Artemis mission that will send astronauts around the moon is now scheduled for April 2026, with the landing moved to 2027.
However, Duffy said that there is a chance the April launch could happen as early as February and hinted at including two companies to speed up progress. More specifically, he pointed to Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space firm, as a possible alternative or partner alongside SpaceX. Nevertheless, the ongoing government shutdown could complicate contract decisions, although NASA staff working with SpaceX and Blue Origin on Artemis remain active.
What Is the Prediction for Tesla Stock?
When it comes to Elon Musk’s companies, most of them are privately held. However, retail investors can invest in his most popular company, Tesla (TSLA). Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 16 Buys, 13 Holds, and 10 Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $366.35 per share implies 17.2% downside risk.
