Spacex lunar lander contract full#

That was challenged by Blue Origin with a federal lawsuit after the agency said budget constraints limited the selection to just one company. In 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract as the sole commercial partner to ferry Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface in its Starship vehicle. 'Blue Origin is contributing well north of $3.4 billion as part of this effort,' Couluris said without revealing more specifics. Success or failure? SpaceX's Starship launch confuses internet, but truth is clearĪ substantial Blue Origin investment supplements the $3.4 billion fixed-price contract awarded by NASA Friday. View Gallery: Photos: NASA launches historic Artemis I mission from Kennedy Space Center 'Before that, we have a number of test launches and landings that we'll be we'll be releasing here soon.'

Spacex lunar lander contract full#

'We'll be testing our full lander systems and the full architecture prior to any astronauts entering the vehicle and that will be roughly one year prior,' John Couluris, Blue Origin vice president of lunar transportation, said Friday. A substantial redesign to accommodate more cargo and crew has been added since then.

Once Orion docks with Gateway, two astronauts will transfer to Blue Origin’s human landing system for about a weeklong trip to the moon’s south pole region where they will conduct science and exploration activities,' NASA said in a statement.īlue Origin, owned and personally funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world's richest person, initially debuted plans for its Blue Moon lander in 2019. 'For the Artemis V mission, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket will launch four astronauts to lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft. International Space Station: NASA, international partners agree on cooperation on the ISS through 2028īlue Origin's reusable lander called 'Blue Moon' was selected deliver astronauts to the lunar surface for the agency's Artemis V mission slated for no earlier than 2029.