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Musk vs. Bezos: Moon Missions Intensify
13 Feb
Summary
- SpaceX plans a lunar base, Blue Origin shifts resources to its lander.
- NASA funds both companies for astronaut moon landings, aiming to beat China.
- The competition intensifies ahead of SpaceX's potential $1 trillion IPO.
The rivalry between U.S. billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos is intensifying, with both SpaceX and Blue Origin accelerating their moon ambitions. SpaceX, under Musk, is now planning "Moonbase Alpha" and aiming to establish AI-computing infrastructure on the lunar surface, a shift from its previous Mars focus. This drive comes as SpaceX prepares for a potential IPO valued at over $1 trillion.
Blue Origin, Bezos's company, has recently prioritized its Blue Moon lunar lander program, reallocating resources from suborbital tourism. This renewed focus supports NASA's Artemis program, which relies on both Blue Origin's lander and SpaceX's Starship for future astronaut missions. The space agency aims for the first crewed moon landings to commence with Starship, with a target date of 2028.
This renewed "moonshot" by U.S. companies is bolstered by significant government funding and is seen as critical to outpacing China's own 2030 lunar astronaut landing objective. The urgency of this competition is driving rapid development in the nascent U.S. lunar industry, attracting significant investor interest and signaling a pivotal moment for commercial space exploration.
