{"id":17730,"date":"2020-04-30T20:40:17","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T12:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-puts-blue-origin-dynetics-and-spacex-on-the-list-for-lunar-lander-development-program\/"},"modified":"2020-04-30T20:40:17","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T12:40:17","slug":"nasa-puts-blue-origin-dynetics-and-spacex-on-the-list-for-lunar-lander-development-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-puts-blue-origin-dynetics-and-spacex-on-the-list-for-lunar-lander-development-program\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA puts Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX on the list for lunar lander development program"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_561242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-561242\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-561242\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-blueorigin-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Moon lunar lander\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-blueorigin-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-blueorigin-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-blueorigin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-561242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s conception shows Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon lander, equipped with an ascent module built by Lockheed Martin. (Blue Origin Illustration via NASA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>NASA has selected teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX to develop lunar landing systems capable of putting astronauts on the moon by as early as 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to be able to go to the moon, but we want to be a customer,\u201d NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters today during a teleconference. \u201cWe want to drive down the costs, we want to increase the access, we want to have our partners have customers that are not just us, so they compete on cost and innovation, and just bring capabilities that we\u2019ve never had before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fixed-price contracts totaling $967 million will go to the three corporate teams over the next 10 months to flesh out their proposals for lunar landing systems that would carry astronauts to and from the lunar surface:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For its Blue Moon lunar landing system, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture, based in Kent, Wash., assembled a \u201cnational team\u201d that includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper. The concept makes use of elements from Lockheed Martin\u2019s Orion capsule for the lander\u2019s ascent module. Northrop Grumman will provide the transfer module for the lander system, which can be launched with Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket or United Launch Alliance\u2019s Vulcan rocket. Blue Origin\u2019s team will get $579 million.<\/li>\n<li>Alabama-based Dynetics is developing a single-structure landing system that provides both ascent and descent capabilities, and would launch on ULA\u2019s Vulcan rocket. Dynetics\u2019 team of 25 partners includes Sierra Nevada Corp., Draper and Thales Alenia Space Italy. Dynetics\u2019 team will get $253 million.<\/li>\n<li>California-based SpaceX is offering its Starship spacecraft, to be launched atop the Super Heavy rocket. SpaceX will get $135 million.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Next year, NASA will assess the resulting concepts and select which landing systems will get further support for initial demonstration missions, leading to regular procurement for lunar commercial services. It\u2019s conceivable that all three teams will get NASA\u2019s go-ahead for demonstrations<\/p>\n<p>The mission profile for the first lunar landing currently calls for astronauts to be launched in an Orion capsule atop NASA\u2019s heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket, and to transfer to the landing system for the descent to the moon\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Artemis Announcement: NASA Selects Human Landing Systems\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dlHJAKIaALg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>NASA is planning to assemble a Gateway space platform in lunar orbit over the next few years, but Bridenstine said the first landing mission won\u2019t rely on having the Gateway ready by that time. \u201cWe believe that getting to the moon by 2024 does not require the Gateway. \u2026 In fact, I would go as far as to say that it\u2019s not likely that we will use the Gateway for the 2024 mission,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The teams were selected based on technical and management ratings. Boeing, which has faced technical difficulties with its CST-100 Starliner space taxi and its work on the Space Launch System, proposed a landing system but was not selected. A Texas-based space venture called Vivace also submitted a proposal that lost out.<\/p>\n<p>During the teleconference, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expressed his appreciation to NASA for supporting Starship, which is under development for trips to Mars as well as the moon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we\u2019ve got the potential for an incredibly exciting future in space, with a base on the moon and ultimately sending people and having a self-sustaining city on Mars,\u201d Musk said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_561302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-561302\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-561302\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-starship-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"Starship\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-starship-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-starship-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-starship.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-561302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s conception shows SpaceX\u2019s Starship on the surface of the moon. (SpaceX Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kim Doering, Dynetics\u2019 vice president for space systems, said \u201cwe are all looking forward to helping to achieve the 2024 goal of returning U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface, and we\u2019re really excited about enabling a long-term commercial lunar economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a great day for Dynetics, it\u2019s a great day for NASA and a great day for the country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith seconded that sentiment, saying today was a \u201ctruly historic day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoing to the moon is the reason why we got into this business, and we couldn\u2019t be more excited about that,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe\u2019re all very fortunate to humbly stand on the shoulders of Apollo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bridenstine has repeatedly noted the parallels between the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s and NASA\u2019s current moon initiative, which is called the Artemis program in a nod to the mythological sister of Apollo. Today the NASA chief recalled that the Apollo program took place during a time of turmoil over such issues as civil rights and the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_561304\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-561304\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-561304\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-dynetics-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-dynetics-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-dynetics-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/200430-dynetics.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-561304\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist\u2019s conception shows the Dynetics Human Landing System on the lunar surface. (Dynetics Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIn the midst of that most difficult time in American history, we were able to go to the moon,\u201d Bridenstine said. \u201cHere we are, all these years later, in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, and there\u2019s a lot of concern, a lot of fear. And yet this little agency is still moving forward in a very meaningful way, and we\u2019re doing it with our commercial partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bridenstine said a number of NASA employees have been infected with coronavirus, \u201cand in fact we\u2019ve lost lives because of it at the agency.\u201d But he didn\u2019t expect the pandemic to affect the space agency\u2019s timetable or Congress\u2019 support for a 2024 lunar landing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a budget request that reflects that priority, and I have not heard anybody suggest that, because of the coronavirus pandemic, we\u2019re going to have to cut NASA on this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><em>This is an updated version of a report first published at 10:29 a.m. PT April 30.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An artist\u2019s conception shows Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon lander, equipped with an ascent module built by Lockheed Martin. (Blue Origin Illustration via NASA) NASA has selected teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX to develop lunar landing systems capable of putting astronauts on the moon by as early as 2024. \u201cWe want to be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[304,1508,509,2065,2043,625,190,316,4328],"class_list":["post-17730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-artemis","tag-blue-moon","tag-blue-origin","tag-dynetics","tag-lunar-lander","tag-moon","tag-nasa","tag-spacex","tag-spacex-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17730"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17730\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}