After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA’s entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
SpaceX's dominance in the space race has been reinforced following the explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket during a test. This incident has raised concerns about NASA's lunar exploration program, which may now rely solely on SpaceX for upcoming missions. As SpaceX prepares for a significant IPO, the future of lunar landings appears increasingly dependent on its capabilities.
- ▪Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test, grounding the rocket as the cause is investigated.
- ▪NASA's lunar exploration program may become entirely dependent on SpaceX due to Blue Origin's setback.
- ▪SpaceX is developing a lunar lander variant of its Starship, which is crucial for NASA's Artemis III mission.
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With a record-setting IPO in just a few weeks, SpaceX saw its rival in a contest to put astronauts on the lunar surface go up in flames, reinforcing its dominance in the space race and its primacy in NASA’s plans to go back to the moon.Recommended Video On Thursday, a New Glenn rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during an engine-firing test at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, ahead of a satellite launch scheduled for next week. Blue Origin also planned to use the rocket to launch landers to the moon for NASA, delivering payloads and astronauts to the surface. SpaceX is jockeying to be selected by NASA for the lunar mission too, and may emerge as the only remaining option to meet an ambitious schedule.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Fortune.