NASA is done playing favorites… and it’s done waiting.

On his very first day on the job, new NASA administrator Jared Isaacman made something very clear… whoever gets a moon lander ready first is the company NASA will ride with. Period. That means SpaceX and Blue Origin are officially in a real race for the ultimate billionaire bragging rights.

In a recent interview Isaacman said that NASA’s priority is getting Americans back on the moon before China does. If one company can make that happen faster than the other, that’s the company NASA will choose.

Right now, SpaceX still has the lead. The company holds more than $4 billion in NASA contracts tied to its Starship rocket, which is supposed to carry astronauts to the lunar surface under the Artemis program. But here’s the problem… Starship keeps slipping. Development has been slower than expected, there have been technical setbacks, and patience inside NASA has worn thin.

That’s why last year NASA reopened the lunar lander program to competition… a move that gave Blue Origin a real shot. The company, founded by Jeff Bezos, has been quieter than SpaceX, but now has a clear opportunity. If it can build something that works sooner, NASA is open to switching lanes.

Isaacman’s mindset makes sense when you look at his background. He’s the founder of Shift4 Payments, not a lifelong government bureaucrat, and he’s flown to space himself. He’s also stepping into the job at a time when NASA faces budget pressure and potential staffing cuts. Instead of arguing for more money, Isaacman has said the agency already has enough (roughly $20 billion to $25 billion a year) if it focuses on execution.

Political backing is already in place. A recent executive order reinforced the Artemis program, with NASA aiming to get astronauts back on the moon by 2028 and build a permanent base by 2030. The focus now is on building something that lasts and actually serves a purpose.

So the message from Washington to SpaceX and Blue Origin is simple… stop talking and start building. NASA wants boots on the moon, and whoever gets there first gets the contract.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News doesn’t hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.