WSJ What’s News: How Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Is Taking on SpaceX in the Race to the Moon

Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Sabrina Siddiqui (filling in for Alex Osola)
Guest: Micah Madenberg, WSJ reporter covering the business of space

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the growing competition between Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX as both companies vie for dominance in America’s revived lunar ambitions. The discussion highlights NASA contracts, Blue Origin's recent technological milestones, plans for lunar missions, competition with SpaceX, and how both companies are shaping the new wave of human space exploration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Blue Origin’s Momentum & Changing Reputation

• Blue Origin, historically perceived as slow and methodical, is now actively trying to accelerate its operations to compete with the faster-paced SpaceX.
• Company previously embraced its “slow and steady” approach, symbolized by the use of a tortoise on their logo.
• Major management change: Jeff Bezos appointed Dave Limp, a long-time Amazon executive, as CEO to increase the company’s speed and efficiency.
  • Quote: “Jeff Bezos brought on a new CEO … Dave Limp. Limp has really tried and seen it as his mandate to get the company to move faster.” – Micah Madenberg (04:32)

2. Recent Achievements & Technological Milestones

• Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its New Glenn booster for the first time, an important technological milestone.
• The successful booster landing is seen as foundational for higher launch rates, cost savings, and future lunar flights.
• Company is working on a more powerful version of New Glenn for upcoming missions.

3. Blue Origin’s Plans for the Moon

• NASA has contracted Blue Origin to develop a lunar lander to be used in the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon.

• Blue Origin’s vision extends beyond transportation—exploring sustainable space living.

  • Focus on converting lunar dust (“regolith”) into usable resources for astronauts or robotic missions.
  • “Living off the land” to reduce costly transportation of materials from Earth to the moon.
  • Quote: “…Blue Origin is invested in some really interesting technologies to try to turn, for example, Moondust … into usable resources…” – Micah Madenberg (05:20)

• Projected timeline: Blue Origin is targeting a crewed lunar mission toward the end of 2028.

4. SpaceX’s Perspective & Competitive Approach

• SpaceX is developing a human landing system based on its Starship spacecraft.
• SpaceX asserts that its Starship lander remains the quickest path to returning Americans to the lunar surface, aiming for speed and frequency.
• Both companies hold active NASA contracts to land astronauts on the Moon and are pushing for faster mission timetables.
  • Quote: “SpaceX says its Starship lander is still the fastest way to get Americans back on the lunar surface.” – Micah Madenberg (06:05)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Blue Origin’s Shift in Culture:

  • “Blue Origin did have this reputation. They once used a tortoise on their logo. You know, slow and steady wins the race, that kind of thing.”
    — Micah Madenberg (04:27)

• Jeff Bezos' Leadership Moves:

  • “Jeff Bezos brought on a new CEO to run the company. Somebody he worked with for many years at Amazon named Dave Limp.”
    — Micah Madenberg (04:31)

• Lunar Resource Utilization:

  • “…Blue Origin is invested in … turning Moondust, the stuff called regolith on the lunar surface, into usable resources that astronauts or … robotic missions could tap into. The idea there is, you live off the land. You don't have to transport stuff out to the moon because you can make it on the surface.”
    — Micah Madenberg (05:18)

• Competitive Timeline:

  • “Blue Origin and SpaceX both have contracts right now to deliver NASA astronauts to the lunar surface, and they're both trying to figure out faster ways to do it.”
    — Micah Madenberg (06:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:30] – Introduction of Blue Origin’s challenge to SpaceX and context on recent achievements
• [04:26] – Blue Origin’s historical reputation and efforts to accelerate operations
• [05:07] – Blue Origin’s plans for lunar exploration and the Artemis program
• [05:59] – SpaceX’s response and NASA contracts for lunar landers
• [06:26] – Conclusion of main segment

Tone and Style

The discussion is professional yet accessible, with an emphasis on clear explanations of technical and business concepts in the context of the space industry’s future.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode offers an in-depth look at the "new space race" between Blue Origin and SpaceX, focusing on their urgent efforts to secure NASA’s favor and win the race to put humans back on the moon. It covers Blue Origin’s cultural shift under new leadership, its technical advancements (especially the evolution of the New Glenn rocket), and ambitious plans to support sustainable lunar missions through new resource technologies. SpaceX, meanwhile, maintains its confident push with the Starship project, framing itself as the quickest route back to the moon. The segment is rich with industry insights and provides a concise but thorough picture of the current state of commercial lunar exploration.