Analysis:NASA's moon mission tests aerospace old guard as SpaceX, Blue Origin hover

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Advertisement Business Analysis:NASA's moon mission tests aerospace old guard as SpaceX, Blue Origin hover The crew of the Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, walk to board the astronaut van for their drive to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius The crew of the Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon greet people before boarding the astronaut van for their drive to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Apr 1, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Joe Skipper) NASA astronaut Christina Koch adjusts her helmet visor next to CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen in the Orion crew capsule before the planned Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon, at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026, in a still image from video. NASA TV/Handout via REUTERS The Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B ahead of the mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026. He also cancelled plans to upgrade SLS with a more powerful upper stage meant for later Artemis missions, instead tapping United Launch Alliance - the joint rocket venture of Boeing and Lockheed - to use its less powerful Centaur upper stage. "If they (NASA) do include SpaceX or Blue Origin, it would give the U.S. more flexibility in who they partner with in the future, as SpaceX and Blue Origin are already part of Artemis; it's just how much larger a part they can play," said Andrew Chanin, CEO of ProcureAM, the issuer of the Procure Space exchange-traded fund.

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Analysis:NASA's moon mission tests aerospace old guard as SpaceX, Blue Origin hover
The crew of the Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, walk to board the astronaut van for their drive to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
The crew of the Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon greet people before boarding the astronaut van for their drive to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Apr 1, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Joe Skipper)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch adjusts her helmet visor next to CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen in the Orion crew capsule before the planned Artemis II launch mission to fly by the moon, at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026, in a still image from video. NASA TV/Handout via REUTERS
The Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B ahead of the mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
02 Apr 2026 03:47AM
(Updated: 02 Apr 2026 03:51AM)
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April 1 : NASA's Artemis II mission is shaping up to be more than just the next step in returning humans to the moon — it is a key test of whether the agency's traditional contractor-built systems can remain viable in a rapidly shifting space industry.
The mission, set to launch on Wednesday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years. It will be the first crewed flight of Boeing and Northrop Grumman's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Lockheed Martin's Orion capsule.
While both systems have undergone years of development and uncrewed testing, with the rocket's more than $24 billion development beginning in 2010, Artemis II marks the moment when their reliability will be judged under the highest possible stakes: human flight.
The outcome of Artemis II could reshape the political narrative around Orion as well as SLS, the world's most powerful active rocket, which has faced persistent criticism over delays, ballooning costs and a relatively slow launch rate.
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"The stakes are extremely high whenever there are astronauts on board," said Michael Leshock, equity research analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, adding that Artemis II represents "a critical validation moment" as NASA evaluates proven commercial options.
COMMERCIAL RIVALS CHALLENGE SLS DOMINANCE
A new wave of private rockets inspired by SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 has challenged NASA's thinking with the expendable SLS, a reincarnation of decades-old, Shuttle-era tech as the industry has focused on reusability in more recent years.
Commercial players like Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are already waiting in the wings. NASA chief Jared Isaacman announced last week that the agency intends to open the SLS mission - launching Artemis astronauts and cargo off Earth - to competitive bids from other companies for missions after Artemis V.
That was one of many changes Isaacman has made to the Artemis program in recent weeks. He also cancelled plans to upgrade SLS with a more powerful upper stage meant for later Artemis missions, instead tapping United Launch Alliance - the joint rocket venture of Boeing and Lockheed - to use its less powerful Centaur upper stage.
"If they (NASA) do include SpaceX or Blue Origin, it would give the U.S. more flexibility in who they partner with in the future, as SpaceX and Blue Origin are already part of Artemis; it's just how much larger a part they can play," said Andrew Chanin, CEO of ProcureAM, the issuer of the Procure Space exchange-traded fund.
HIGH COSTS THREATEN SLS FUTURE
Analysts say the SLS program is costly and is unlikely to be a viable long-term option for NASA to return to the moon on a regular, cost-effective cadence.
That makes the high-profile Artemis II mission a critical validation point for the contractors behind the program, as newer, lower-cost rockets try to prove their own reliability.
Each SLS launch is estimated to cost between $2 billion and $4 billion. By contrast, SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin'

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- HIGH COSTS THREATEN SLS FUTURE Analysts say the SLS program is costly and is unlikely to be a viable long-term option for NASA to return to the moon on a regular, cost-effective cadence.
- While privately owned rockets have shown lower costs and greater innovation, he said, "the need to stick with SLS is political." Source: Reuters Newsletter Week in Review Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.

### Areas for Consideration
- The outcome of Artemis II could reshape the political narrative around Orion as well as SLS, the world's most powerful active rocket, which has faced persistent criticism over delays, ballooning costs and a relatively slow launch rate.
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less "The stakes are extremely high whenever there are astronauts on board," said Michael Leshock, equity research analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, adding that Artemis II represents "a critical validation moment" as NASA evaluates proven commercial options.
- COMMERCIAL RIVALS CHALLENGE SLS DOMINANCE A new wave of private rockets inspired by SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 has challenged NASA's thinking with the expendable SLS, a reincarnation of decades-old, Shuttle-era tech as the industry has focused on reusability in more recent years.

### Implications
- The mission, set to launch on Wednesday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
- It will be the first crewed flight of Boeing and Northrop Grumman's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Lockheed Martin's Orion capsule.
- While both systems have undergone years of development and uncrewed testing, with the rocket's more than $24 billion development beginning in 2010, Artemis II marks the moment when their reliability will be judged under the highest possible stakes: human flight.
- The outcome of Artemis II could reshape the political narrative around Orion as well as SLS, the world's most powerful active rocket, which has faced persistent criticism over delays, ballooning costs and a relatively slow launch rate.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers sls, artemis, nasa topics. Notable strengths include discussion of sls. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1306.