NASA has set out its plan to choose which companies will continue to develop lunar landers for the Artemis lunar program.
The agency quietly announced the delay, first reported by the rand, in a notice on January 27 to the three commercial teams participating in the Human Landing System (HLS) program. SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics are developing lunar landers for the agency’s Artemis program, which aims to bring humans back to the lunar surface by 2024. In the new announcement, NASA revealed that ‘a free extension of each of their base period contracts is required. ”
NASA awarded the three contracts last year and initially planned to select two companies to continue the competition by 28 February. The extension gives the agency until April 30 to make the decision.
Related: NASA unveils plan for Artemis’ ‘base camp’ on the moon after 2024
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The three contracts amount to $ 967 million in development funds, SpaceX has been awarded $ 135 million and is aimed at using its Starship reusable vehicle as a lunar lander; Blue Origin has allocated $ 579 million and raises its Blue Moon lander for people with a ‘National Team’ consisting of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper; and Dynetics, which works with Sierra Nevada Corp., won the latest $ 253 million contract to develop a new two-speed vehicle.
The expansion does not provide any additional financing to any of the businesses. With this expansion, NASA has additional time to choose which companies can receive land development awards.
“This extension is an administrative change and allows the three selected U.S. companies to continue HLS design and development activities, as set forth in the companies’ base period contracts, awarded in May 2020,” NASA declares.
This move is expected, according to the edge, as congressional funding for NASA’s Artemis program fell short of requests and as President Joe Biden took over the executive branch. “NASA’s budget request for fiscal year 2021 sought $ 3.3 billion for the program, but the final omnibus grant bill enacted in December provided $ 850 million,” SpaceNews wrote on the Artemis financing deficit which is the main reason for the decision to postpone this next phase in the reduction of the lander contracts
While $ 850 million is now much less than NASA hoped at $ 3.3 billion to stay on track with its ambitious goal of landing humans on the moon by 2024, the agency is still shooting for the 2024 period, “said Kathy Lueders, a NASA collaborator, director of human reconnaissance and operations, according to a NASA advisory board meeting on January 14, according to Space News.
The Biden administration has not yet commented on its plans for the agency and whether it will meet the 2024 lunar deadline set by former President Donald Trump’s government, but the Democratic Party’s platform referred to SpaceNews. the return of humans to the moon.
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