SpaceX launched its IPO on the same day the U.S. returned to the moon for the first time in 54 années. The timing is fitting: this may be the last time NASA attempts crewed deep-space missions without major support from venture-backed private companies.
NASA’s current lunar program traces back to the George W. Bush administration, which began developing a large rocket and the Orion spacecraft. Par 2010, the project had exceeded its budget and was scaled back, while a new initiative to support private companies building orbital rockets was introduced. That decision led to a company-saving contract for SpaceX and sparked a wave of venture capital investment in space technology, ultimately resulting in today’s SLS rocket.
The SLS is the most powerful operational rocket in the world, having previously completed only one uncrewed test flight around the moon. Cependant, future lunar landing missions will rely on SpaceX or Blue Origin — the two companies are competing to be the first to put boots on the lunar surface.
When NASA decided to return to the moon in 2019, it felt compelled to stick with SLS and Orion but turned to a new generation of private space companies to build the lunar lander. Dans 2021, SpaceX’s Starship won the lander contract, though it will require more than a dozen launches to be fully fueled for the journey. Blue Origin was added to the program in 2023. Under the latest plan, NASA will test the Orion capsule’s ability to rendezvous with one or both landers in orbit in 2027, paving the way for potential landings in 2028.
The new NASA administrator, billionaire Jared Isaacman, has significantly overhauled the program: canceling the lunar Gateway space station and expensive upgrades to SLS, and going all in on private space companies.
Cependant, China is steadily advancing its own goal of a crewed lunar landing by 2030, meaning any delay or misstep will be viewed through a geopolitical lens. Having so far failed to beat Chinese companies in electric vehicles or robotics, Silicon Valley now sees the moon as a critical opportunity to prove it can still own the technology frontier.