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NASA has selected Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, to develop a human landing system for the agency\u2019s Artemis V mission to the Moon. NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, uncovering more scientific discoveries, and preparing for future astronaut missions to Mars.<\/p>\n
Blue Origin will design, develop, test, and verify its Blue Moon lander to meet NASA\u2019s human landing system requirements for recurring astronaut expeditions to the lunar surface, including docking with Gateway, a space station where crew transfer in lunar orbit. In addition to design and development work, the contract includes one uncrewed demonstration mission to the lunar surface before a crewed demo on the Artemis V mission in 2029. The total award value of the firm-fixed-price contract is $3.4 billion.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we are excited to announce Blue Origin will build a human landing system as NASA\u2019s second provider to deliver Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface,\u201d said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. \u201cWe are in a golden age of human spaceflight, which is made possible by NASA\u2019s commercial and international partnerships. Together, we are making an investment in the infrastructure that will pave the way to land the first astronauts on Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Artemis V mission, NASA\u2019s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch four astronauts to lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft. Once Orion docks with Gateway, two astronauts will transfer to Blue Origin\u2019s human landing system for about a weeklong trip to the Moon\u2019s South Pole region, where they will conduct science and exploration activities. Artemis V is at the intersection of demonstrating NASA\u2019s initial lunar exploration capabilities and establishing the foundational systems to support recurring complex missions in lunar orbit and on the surface as part of the agency\u2019s Moon to Mars exploration approach.<\/p>\n
Adding another human landing system partner to NASA\u2019s Artemis program will increase competition, reduce costs to taxpayers, support a regular cadence of lunar landings, further invest in the lunar economy, and help NASA achieve its goals on and around the Moon in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars. <\/p>\n
The agency previously contracted SpaceX to demonstrate an initial human landing system for the Artemis III mission. Under that contract, the agency also directed SpaceX to evolve its design to meet the agency\u2019s requirements for sustainable exploration and to demonstrate the lander on Artemis IV. As a result of the contract with Blue Origin to demonstrate on Artemis V a lander that meets these same sustainable lander requirements, including capabilities for increased crew size, longer mission duration, and delivery of more mass to the Moon, multiple providers will be available to compete for future opportunities to fulfill NASA\u2019s lunar surface access needs for Artemis missions.<\/p>\n
By supporting the industry\u2019s development of innovative human landing system concepts and designs, NASA will help increase access to space for the benefit of all. <\/p>\n
\u201cHaving two distinct lunar lander designs, with different approaches to how they meet NASA’s mission needs, provides more robustness and ensures a regular cadence of Moon landings,\u201d said Lisa Watson-Morgan, manager of, the Human Landing System Program at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cThis competitive approach drives innovation, brings down costs, and invests in commercial capabilities to grow the business opportunities that can serve other customers and foster a lunar economy.\u201d<\/p>\n