Artemis II marks the end of NASA’s legacy-only moon missions

The upcoming Artemis II (NASA moon mission) marks the first time in 54 years that the US is sending astronauts to the moon, carrying three Americans and one Canadian. This historic mission is likely the last time NASA will attempt to send humans to deep space without major assistance from a company that emerged from the venture-backed tech scene. Currently, the mission relies on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which were built by NASA’s legacy contractors, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, with a boost from Europe’s Airbus Defense and Space. This reliance is shifting as the agency increasingly turns toward venture-backed firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin to lead the next phase of deep space exploration.

This transition began taking shape when NASA decided to head for the moon again in 2019. To transport astronauts to the lunar surface, the agency turned to the private sector. SpaceX won the lander job in 2021 to use its Starship rocket, an approach that requires a dozen or more launches to fill the vehicle with propellant. Blue Origin was added to the roster in 2023 to develop its own human landing system. To manage these competing systems, NASA is apparently planning a bake-off in 2027 to test the ability of the Orion spacecraft to rendezvous with one or both private landers in orbit, ahead of two potential landings in 2028. This complex setup has drawn criticism. Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine remarked, “This is an architecture that no NASA administrator that I’m aware of would have selected had they had the choice.”

The program has undergone a major overhaul under NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, who entered office in late 2025. Isaacman made the decision to scrap plans to build Gateway (a proposed lunar space station) and to cancel expensive upgrades for the SLS rocket. Outside observers had long characterized those legacy components as “wasteful or politically motivated.” By cutting these elements, the agency is focusing its resources directly on the new generation of private space companies. This strategic pivot carries geopolitical weight, as China remains on a disciplined path to put one of its citizens on the moon by 2030.

Why it matters

NASA is shifting its lunar strategy away from legacy contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin toward venture-backed space firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin, marking a significant change in how the agency approaches deep space exploration. As China targets its own lunar landing by 2030, this shift represents a critical test of whether Silicon Valley can secure dominance on the technology frontier.