NASA has suffered greatly since Trump was sworn in earlier this year, with leadership looking to slash budgets and reduce headcount. Most recently, the agency’s historic Jet Propulsion Lab laid off 550 employees, representing more than ten percent of its entire workforce.

Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said the agency will open up the Artemis 3 contract to other spaceflight companies because SpaceX has fallen behind schedule.

SpaceX signed the nearly $3 billion government contract in 2021. It helped solidify the fledgling company as a powerhouse in space travel as the country with the most advanced space program gave it the stamp of approval. Since then, SpaceX’s valuation has ballooned from $100 billion to reports of over $400 billion.

The Falcon 9 took flight at 1:39 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, from Launch Complex 40 en route to deploying 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.

China aims to put its astronauts on the moon by 2030. For NASA to get back there first, it needs SpaceX to quickly complete its Starship rocket — but it faces major hurdles.