WASHINGTON – NASA is delaying a decision on which companies they will try to develop human lunar landers for the Artemis program, as it is struggling with a lack of funding and a change in administrations.
In a January 27 announcement to the three teams participating in the Human Landing System (HLS) program, NASA announced that it would implement two months of free extensions to their contracts, which would end on February 28. expansion was first reported by The Verge.
The cost extensions allow the contracts awarded to Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX last April to last April 30, but offer the companies no extra financing. The expansion will give NASA more time to determine which companies, if any, will receive Option A awards for lander development.
“The timing of this extension is designed to enable NASA to complete the option, selection and grant process of Option A and to retain the ability to seamlessly transition from the base period contracts to the Option A contracts, “the agency said in a statement. the HLS website.
One industry source, speaking in the background, said the expansion is expected due to uncertainty about how NASA will proceed with the HLS program. While NASA said it could make Option A awards before April 30, the source said it would not be surprising to see additional delays in the program.
The main reason behind the uncertainty is the amount that HLS has available is much less than what the agency requested. 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.
NASA has since said little about the status of the program, in part due to the ongoing review of Option A proposals submitted by the HLS companies. “Our team is off and we will decide which systems we are going to invest in their lunar landing demonstrations,” Kathy Lueders, NASA’s co-administrator for human reconnaissance and operations, met at a January 14 meeting of two NASA advisory boards. committees. She added that NASA was still shooting for the first landing in 2024.
But in an interview on January 16 in his last days in office, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine acknowledged that the limited funding would force NASA to change its strategy. The agency hoped to fund the development of two landfall systems in an approach similar to the commercial cargo and crewing programs, which would provide competition between the companies and a back-up should one business stumble.
‘The credit we asked for was $ 3.3 billion for the Human Landing System. We did not get it, ‘he said, noting that NASA still received’ a lot ‘of funding for the program with dual support.
“NASA needs to go back and see what the options are to go to the moon as soon as possible,” he said.
But “as fast as possible” may not be the 2024 goal the Trump administration set nearly two years ago. The Biden government has not yet commented on its plans for NASA, although the Democratic Party platform does contain language that endorses a human return to the moon. However, this document did not explicitly endorse it to do so by 2024 or any other specific date.