SpaceX could lose contract for Artemis 3 astronaut moon-landing mission, acting NASA chief says: 'The problem is, they're behind'

A massive silver-and-white rocket lands on the grey, dusty surface of the moon.

The first crewed moon landing in more than half a century may not be pulled off by SpaceX after all.

In April 2021, NASA awarded Elon Musk's company a $2.9 billion contract to provide the first crewed lunar lander for the agency's Artemis program. That vehicle, a modified upper stage of SpaceX's Starship megarocket, is supposed to land astronauts on the moon for the first time on the upcoming Artemis 3 mission.