NASA has selected Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, to develop the human landing system for the agency’s Artemis V mission to the moon. Through Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, uncover more scientific discoveries, and prepare for future astronaut missions to Mars.
Blue Origin will design, develop, test and validate its Blue Moon lander to meet NASA’s requirements for a human landing system for repeated expeditions of astronauts to the lunar surface, including docking with Gateway, the space station where the crew moves to lunar orbit.
In addition to design and development work, the contract includes one unmanned demonstration mission to the lunar surface before a manned demonstration on the Artemis V mission in 2029. The total value of the firm-fixed-price contract is $3.4 billion.
“Today, we are pleased to announce that Blue Origin will build the Human Landing System as NASA’s second provider to carry Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We are in the golden age of human spaceflight, enabled by NASA’s commercial and international partnerships. Together, we are investing in the infrastructure that will pave the way for the first astronauts to land on Mars.
Two astronauts will transfer to Blue Origin’s human landing system
For the Artemis V mission, NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch four astronauts into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft. Once Orion docks with Gateway, the two astronauts will transfer to Blue Origin’s human landing system for a roughly week-long trip to the moon’s south pole region to conduct science and exploration activities.
Artemis V is at the intersection of demonstrating NASA’s initial lunar exploration capabilities and building the essential systems to support repeated complex lunar orbit and surface missions as part of the agency’s approach to lunar exploration to Mars.
Adding another Human Landing System partner to NASA’s Artemis program will increase competition, reduce taxpayer costs, 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 the future astronaut. mission to mars.
The agency previously contracted SpaceX to demonstrate the initial human landing system for the Artemis III mission. Under the contract, the agency also ordered SpaceX to develop its design to meet the agency’s requirements for sustainable exploration and to demonstrate the lander on Artemis IV.
As a result of the contract with Blue Origin, multiple providers will be available to demonstrate on Artemis V a lander that meets the same requirements for a sustainable lander, including capabilities for more crews, longer mission duration, and delivering more mass to the Moon. compete for future opportunities to fulfill NASA’s lunar surface access requirements for Artemis missions.
Lunar lander designs with different approaches
By supporting industrial development of innovative concepts and designs for human landing systems, NASA will help increase access to space for the benefit of all.
“Two distinct lunar lander designs with different approaches to how they meet NASA’s mission needs, provide greater resilience and ensure a regular lunar landing cadence,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, manager of the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. in Huntsville, Alabama. “This competitive approach is driving innovation, reducing costs and investing in commercial capabilities to grow business opportunities that can serve additional customers and support the lunar economy.”
NASA issued a call in September 2022, known as Annex P, as part of its second Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Broad Agency Announcement (Next-STEP2 BAA) as part of the continued development of advanced technologies, capabilities and concepts for space exploration.
Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts—including the first woman and the first person of color—to explore the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to lay the groundwork for manned missions to Mars. Together, the SLS rocket, Orion, Gateway, advanced spacesuits, and human landing systems are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
