Comment by Someone

Also, combine ”NASA says contracts to build a lunar lander could be awarded in late February or March.” with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module#History.

For the LM, the contract was awarded in September 1962, and first flight (unmanned) was in January, 1968.

So, even Apollo’s aggressive schedule needed more time to first flight than what NASA would have now between awarding the contract and landing humans on the moon.