NASA has selectedthreeU.S.companies to design and develophumanlanding systems (HLS) for the agencysArtemisprogram, one of which will land the first woman and next manon the surface of the Moon by 2024.NASAison track for sustainable human exploration of the Moon for the first time in history.
The human landing systemawardsunder theNext Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2)Appendix H Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)arefirm-fixed price, milestone-based contracts.The totalcombinedvaluefor all awarded contractsis $967 million for the10-monthbase period.
The following companies were selectedto design and buildhumanlandingsystems:
- Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, is developing the Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV) a three-stage landerto be launched onits ownNewGlenn Rocket Systemand ULA Vulcan launch system.
- Dynetics(a Leidos company) of Huntsville, Alabama, is developing theDynetics Human Landing System (DHLS) a single structure providing the ascent and descent capabilitiesthatwill launch on the ULA Vulcan launchsystem.
- SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, is developing the Starship a fully integrated lander that willuse the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket.
With these contract awards,America ismovingforward with thefinalstepneededto landastronauts on the Moon by 2024, including theincrediblemoment when we will see thefirst womanset foot on the lunar surface, said NASAAdministrator JimBridenstine. Thisisthe first time since theApollo era thatNASA has direct funding for a human landing system, and now we have companies on contract to do the workfor the Artemis program.
Fifty years ago, NASAsApollo Programproved it is possible to land humans on the Moon and return them safely to Earth. When NASA returns to the Moon in four years withtheArtemis program, itwill goin a way that reflects the world today with government, industry, and international partners in a global effort to build and test the systems needed for challenging missions to Mars and beyond.
We are on our way. said DouglasLoverro, NASAs associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate in Washington. With these awards we begin an exciting partnership with the best of industry to accomplish the nations goals. We have much work ahead, especially over these next critical 10 months.I have high confidence that working with these teammates, we will succeed.
NASAs commercial partners will refine their lander concepts through the contract base period ending in February 2021.During that time,the agency will evaluate which of the contractorswill perform initial demonstration missions. NASA will later select firms fordevelopment and maturation of sustainable lander systemsfollowed by sustainabledemonstration missions. NASAintends to procure transportation to the lunar surface as commercial space transportation services after these demonstrations are complete. During each phase of development, NASA and its partners will use critical lessons from earlier phases to hone the final concepts that will be used for future lunar commercial services.
"I am confident in NASAs partnership with these companies to help achieve the Artemis mission and develop the human landing system returning us to the Moon" said Lisa Watson-Morgan, HLS program manager at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "We have a history of proven lunar technical expertise and capabilities at Marshall and across NASA that will pave the way for our efforts to quickly and safely land humans on the Moon in 2024.
NASAexpertswillworkcloselywiththe commercial partnersbuilding the nexthuman landing systems,leveragingdecades of human spaceflight experienceand the speed of thecommercialsector to achieve a Moon landing in 2024.
The HLS program manager will assign NASA personnel to support the work of each contractor, providing direct, in-line expertise to the companies as requested in their proposals (e.g., design support, analysis, testing). The HLS program will also perform advanced development and risk reduction activities, working in parallel to better inform the approach for the 2024 mission and the necessary maturation of systems for the future sustaining architecture.
Charged with returning to the Moon in the next four years, NASAsArtemis programwill reveal new knowledge about the Moon, Earth, and our origins in the solar system. The human landing systemis a vital part of NASAs deep space exploration plans, along with theSpace Launch System(SLS) rocket,Orionspacecraft, andGateway.
NASA is returning to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation. Working with its partners throughout the Artemis program, the agency will fine-tune precision landing technologiesanddevelop new mobility capabilities that allow robots and crew to travelgreaterdistances and explore new regions of the Moon.On thesurface, the agency has proposed building a new habitat and rovers, testing new power systems and much more to get ready forhuman exploration ofMars.
