NASA technical people and NASA Director Bridenstine know that they could save about $5 billion over the next two years by canceling the Space Launch System and using the flight-proven SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch the Orion capsule.

Bridenstine told Congress in 2019 that the SLS EM-1 mission (which is delayed into 2021 with SLS) would require two launches: one to place the Orion into orbit the Earth, and a second carrying an upper stage. The two would then dock and the upper stage ignited to send Orion to the moon.

Bridenstine got stopped by Senator Shelby of Alabama.

NASA awarded firm-fixed-price contracts in 2014 to Boeing and SpaceX, valued at up to $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, for the development of crew transportation systems that meet NASA requirements and for the initial service missions to the ISS.

Spx-dm2 was scheduled for November, 2019.