Private Companies Selected by NASA to Develop Lunar Landers

Image credit: NASA

NASA announced the selection of three companies to develop systems for landing Artemis mission astronauts on the Moon in 2024 and beyond. Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX have been collectively awarded over $960 million to build human landing systems that will launch onboard existing United Launch Alliance Vulcan or SpaceX Super Heavy rockets. The contractors will be evaluated in February 2021, at which point NASA will select participants for demonstration missions. NASA personnel will work with the three companies, bringing extensive experience with human spaceflight that will be crucial for achieving a Moon landing in 2024. Human landers are a critical step in developing a sustainable human presence on the Moon. READ MORE