NASA, along with its industry and international partners, is preparing for continued exploration of the lunar surface with the Artemis mission to advance science and discovery for the benefit of all. As part of that effort, NASA intends to give Blue Origin and SpaceX additional work under their existing contracts to develop landers that will deliver large pieces of equipment and infrastructure to the lunar surface.

NASA is currently expected to assign demonstration missions manned landing system The providers, SpaceX and Blue Origin, to mature the designs of their large cargo landers following successful design certification reviews. The assignment of these missions is based on a 2023 request by NASA for development by two companies cargo version Their crewed human landing systems are now in development for Artemis III, Artemis IV, and Artemis V.

“NASA is planning both crewed missions to the Moon beyond Artemis V and future service missions,” said Stephen D. Creech, deputy associate administrator for technical support for the Moon to Mars Program Office.,The Artemis campaign is a collaborative effort with international and industry partners. Having two lunar lander providers with different approaches to crew and cargo landing capability provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings for continued exploration and scientific opportunity.

NASA plans at least two delivery missions with large cargo. Agency intends to deliver SpaceX’s Starship cargo lander pressurized roverCurrently in development by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), to support Artemis VII and subsequent missions to the lunar surface no later than fiscal year 2032. The agency hopes that Blue Origin will provide habitat on the lunar surface before fiscal year 2033.

,“Based on current design and development progress for both crew and cargo landers and the Artemis mission schedule for crew lander versions, NASA assigned a pressurized rover mission to SpaceX and a lunar habitat delivery to Blue Origin,” Lisa Watson-Morgan. , said the program manager. , Human Landing System, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “The purpose of these large cargo lander demonstration missions is to optimize our NASA and industry technical expertise, resources and funding as we prepare for the future of deep space exploration.”

SpaceX will continue cargo lander development and prepare for Starship cargo missions under Option B Next Steps Appendix H Contract. Blue Origin will conduct its cargo lander task and demonstration mission Next Steps Appendix PNASA expects to issue a preliminary request for proposals to both companies in early 2025.

with Artemis In the mission, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rockets, Exploration Ground System and Orion spacecraft are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration with the Commercial Human Landing System, next-generation spacesuits, the Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers.

For more information about NASA’s Human Landing System program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/hls

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james gannon
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
james.h.gannon@nasa.gov

Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov