TWiS 208: Lander, Lander, Who's Got a Lander - Will SpaceX or Blue Origin Touch Down First?

About this episode

This episode discusses the competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin to land astronauts on the Moon by 2028 amid NASA's Artemis program developments.

Lander, lander... who's got a lander? With NASA planning orbital tests of the Artemis landers in 2027 and a crewed landing in 2028, the pressure is on for SpaceX and Blue Origin to make good on their Human Landing System contracts. Who's actually going to put American astronauts back on the Moon first? This week's episode digs into the high-stakes race between the companies, surfacing new details and doubts about whether either lander will be ready in time. Both have to fly into Earth orbit, refuel multiple times, and perform robotic test landings on the moon (in addition to the Artemis III rendezvous and docking tests) before NASA can land astronauts on the moon — and they need to get it all done by 2028. We talk to Space.com's senior space guy, Mike Wall, about the risks and realities of the new space race to the moon. Headlines: Artemis 2 Astronauts Tour White House and Late Night Shows Private Company Plans Asteroid Rendezvous with Apophis NASA's Artemis Moon Lander Readiness and Delays Main Topic: Lunar Landers and Artemis Program Artemis 4 Moon Landing Delays and Timeline Uncertainty SpaceX Starship vs. Blue Origin Blue Moon: Designs and Progress Technical Hurdles: Life…

People in this episode

Guest: Mike Wall

Topics covered

• Lunar Landers
• Artemis Program
• Space Race
• SpaceX vs. Blue Origin
• Technical Hurdles
• Moon Landing Timeline

Keywords

• SpaceX
• Blue Origin
• NASA
• Artemis
• Lunar Landers
• Moon Landing
• Human Landing System
• Space Race
• Technical Hurdles

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin

Places: Moon, Earth, Apophis, China

More episodes of This Week in Space (Audio)

• TWiS 213: Live From ISDC With Gerry Griffin - NASA Flight Director Breaks Down the Realities of Spaceflight · June 5, 2026 · 1h 23m
• TWiS 212: Kabooms, Starship, and a Moon Base - What New Glenn's Explosion Means for NASA's Moon Base · May 29, 2026 · 1h 3m
• TWiS 211: Oysters in Space - With Jacob Scoccimerra of Monolith Space · May 22, 2026 · 1h 9m
• TWiS 210: ESCAPADES at Mars - Dr. Robert Lillis of the Mars ESCAPADE Mission · May 15, 2026 · 57 min
• TWiS 209: Astronauts for America - The Best of the Best Speak Out · May 8, 2026 · 1h 10m
• TWiS 207: What, This Again? - Attempted Cuts to the NASA Budget · April 24, 2026 · 1h 1m