On Tuesday, NASA introduced it was heading in that path, creating one other lunar lander competition that may permit one other firm to win a contract to develop its lander. Blue Origin, which completed second within the authentic procurement and has partnered with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper, can be thought-about the favourite. Dynetics, a protection contractor, additionally bid on the unique contract.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wouldn’t say how a lot cash can be devoted to this system, saying President Biden was set to launch his funds subsequent week. But he mentioned he was assured that Congress can be supportive.
NASA initially had deliberate to award two contracts for the preliminary mission however awarded just one, to SpaceX, attributable to funding points. SpaceX bid $2.9 billion; Blue Origin bid $6 billion.
After it misplaced the preliminary lunar touchdown contract, Blue Origin protested the choice to the Government Accountability Office, alleging the award was flawed by procurement errors. When it misplaced that struggle, it then filed swimsuit within the Court of Federal Claims, nevertheless it misplaced there, as nicely.
Blue Origin additionally lobbied Congress and had help from its residence state senator, Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and others, who urged NASA to fund a second lander. Nelson, who had not but been sworn in on the time of SpaceX’s contract award, has since mentioned he would discover a option to fund a second lunar lander.
“We think, and so does the Congress, that competition leads to better, more reliable outcomes,” Nelson informed reporters Tuesday. “It benefits everybody. It benefits NASA. It benefits the American people. … I promised competition. So here it is.”
Under the contract awarded final yr, SpaceX is to fly a check of its Starship spacecraft to the moon, then later land astronauts on the lunar floor as a part of NASA’s Artemis program. NASA hopes that mission would are available in 2025, however a latest authorities watchdog report forged doubt on that timeline and mentioned it was extra prone to are available in 2026, given the big challenges of getting folks to the moon.
The new lunar lander spacecraft must be able to fly within the 2026-2027 timeline, NASA officers mentioned Tuesday.