NASA is getting ready to send astronauts to explore more of the Moon as
part of the Artemis program, and the
agency has selected SpaceX to continue development of the first commercial
human lander that will safely carry the next two American astronauts to the
lunar surface. At least one of those astronauts will make history as the first
woman on the Moon. Another goal of the Artemis program includes landing the
first person of color on the lunar surface.
The agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket will launch four
astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for their multi-day journey to lunar
orbit. There, two crew members will transfer to the SpaceX human landing system
(HLS) for the final leg of their journey to the surface of the Moon. After
approximately a week exploring the surface, they will board the lander for
their short trip back to orbit where they will return to Orion and their
colleagues before heading back to Earth.
The firm-fixed price, milestone-based contract total award value is $2.89
billion.
"With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed
demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the
agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space
exploration,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for Human
Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate. “This critical step puts
humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on
missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.”
SpaceX has been working closely with NASA
experts during the HLS base period of performance to inform its lander design
and ensure it meets NASA’s performance requirements and human spaceflight
standards. A key tenet for safe systems, these agreed-upon standards range from
areas of engineering, safety, health, and medical technical areas.
“This is an exciting time for NASA and especially the
Artemis team,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager for HLS at NASA’s
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “During the Apollo
program, we proved that it is possible to do the seemingly impossible: land
humans on the Moon. By taking a collaborative approach in working with industry
while leveraging NASA’s proven technical expertise and capabilities, we will
return American astronauts to the Moon’s surface once again, this time to
explore new areas for longer periods of time.”
SpaceX’s HLS Starship, designed to land on the Moon,
leans on the company’s tested Raptor engines and flight heritage of the Falcon
and Dragon vehicles. Starship includes a spacious cabin and two airlocks for
astronaut moonwalks. The Starship architecture is intended to evolve to a fully
reusable launch and landing system designed for travel to the Moon, Mars, and
other destinations.
The HLS award is made under the Next Space
Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2) Appendix H Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).
In parallel with executing the Appendix H award, NASA
intends to implement a competitive procurement for sustainable crewed lunar
surface transportation services that will provide human access to the lunar
surface using the Gateway on a regularly recurring basis beyond the initial
crewed demonstration mission.
With NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, HLS, and the Gateway lunar
outpost, NASA and its commercial and international partners are 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 technologies and develop new mobility
capabilities to enable exploration of new regions of the Moon. On the surface,
the agency has proposed building a new habitat and rovers, testing new power
systems and more. These and other innovations and advancements made under the
Artemis program will ensure that NASA and its partners are ready for human
exploration’s next big step—the exploration of Mars.
For more information about the human landing system,
visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/content/humans-on-the-moon-0
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