Core Points - The Artemis lunar landing program, heavily politicized in the U.S., is facing significant delays, with the crewed lunar lander developed by SpaceX not expected to be ready until September 2028, pushing back NASA's planned Artemis 3 mission to at least 2028 [1][2][3] - Concerns are rising that China may achieve its lunar landing goals before the U.S. due to these delays [1][8] Timeline of the Artemis Program - NASA's original plan aimed to send astronauts to the Moon by mid-2027, but this timeline is now "almost certain" to be delayed further [2] - SpaceX's internal documents indicate that the first crewed lunar landing could occur as late as September 2028, following a series of critical tests scheduled for 2026 and 2027 [2][3] - The Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 missions have already been postponed from 2023 and 2024 to 2026 and beyond, respectively, with the average interval between missions now exceeding two years [7] Technical Challenges - The SpaceX Starship rocket, essential for the Artemis 3 mission, has faced multiple failures during testing, raising doubts about its reliability and the feasibility of the planned lunar missions [3][5] - NASA's acting administrator has criticized SpaceX for its slow progress and announced a restart of bidding for alternative lunar lander solutions, indicating a need for backup plans [5][6] Competitive Landscape - The U.S. lunar program's delays have led to fears of falling behind China, which is progressing steadily towards its goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 [8][10] - Blue Origin is emerging as a potential competitor to SpaceX, developing its own lunar lander for future Artemis missions, although its timeline may not surpass SpaceX's [10]