NASA’s Artemis Moon Landing Relies on SpaceX and Elon Musk’s Expanding Influence

NASA’s Moon Return Depends on SpaceX’s Starship

Elon Musk’s relationship with the moon has shifted from dismissive to pivotal. Last year, he called lunar missions “a distraction,” prioritizing Mars instead. Yet NASA is now paying him to return humans to the moon’s surface by 2028. The recent Artemis II mission, which completed a nine-day lunar flyby last week, proved astronauts can safely travel farther from Earth than ever before. However, orbiting the moon is just the first step—landing remains the ultimate challenge.

No human has walked on the moon since 1972. The Apollo-era landing systems are obsolete, incompatible with modern rockets, and ill-suited for long-term exploration. Astronauts spent a total of just over three days on the lunar surface during the entire Apollo program. To overcome these limitations, NASA turned to SpaceX, Musk’s most profitable company, to develop advanced lunar landers under the Artemis initiative.

SpaceX’s Growing Dominance in NASA Contracts

NASA has long partnered with private companies, but its reliance on SpaceX has surged. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of unique contractors dropped by 38%, while SpaceX’s contract values doubled with the Artemis program’s launch. A Washington Post investigation found that SpaceX has received nearly $15 billion from NASA in total funding.

“Musk can do basically whatever he wants with the rocket launches.”

Dreier argues this partnership exemplifies NASA’s ideal collaboration with private firms, citing reduced launch costs, improved reliability, and reusable rocket innovation. However, he warns of risks: SpaceX has driven down launch costs for others while charging NASA more annually—even after adjusting for inflation. The company’s dominance stems from outcompeting rivals, leaving it as the sole facilitator of U.S. space access.

Controversies Over Costs and Control

Critics highlight two major concerns:

• Inflated costs: Despite federal funding for foundational technologies, SpaceX retains rights to them and charges NASA increasingly higher prices for the same services.
• Monopolistic power: Dreier states, “The government, by policy, concentrated immense power in the hands of a single individual.” SpaceX now holds near-exclusive control over U.S. rocket launches—a role once reserved for national superpowers.

NASA’s $24.4 billion annual budget remains intact after Congress rejected proposed cuts, but the agency faces scrutiny over its growing dependence on a single contractor. As Artemis progresses, the stakes for SpaceX’s Starship—and Musk’s vision—have never been higher.