NASA plans to select which companies will continue to develop lunar landers for the Artemis Moon program.
The agency quietly announced the delay, Reported by the first edge, In Jan 27 Notice To the three merchant teams participating in the Human Lending System (HLS) program. SpaceX, Blue Origin and the Dynamics Agency are developing lunar landers for the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024. In a new notice, NASA announced that “there will be no cost increase in each of their base period contracts. Required.”
Last year NASA awarded three contracts and initially planned to select two companies to advance in the competition by February 28th. The extension gives the agency until April 30 to make that decision.
Related: NASA unveils plan for Artemis ‘base camp’ on the moon in addition to 2024
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A total of 96 67,967 million in development funds, 13 5,135 million was awarded to SpaceX in these three agreements and its purpose is to use its Starship reusable vehicle as its lunar lander; Blue Origin was awarded 57 9579 million and will prepare its Blue Moon lender for humans with a “national team” made up of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper; And Dynetics, which is partnering with Sierra Nevada Corp., pulled out a final contract worth 25 253 million to develop a new, two-stage vehicle.
The extension does not allow any company additional funding. With this extension, NASA will have extra time to choose what awards companies will receive for developing lenders.
“This extension is an administrative change and allows three U.S. companies to continue HLS design and development activities, such as the Pay Per Base Period Agreement, awarded in May 2020.” NASA has stated.
The move was expected, According to the edge, Because congressional funding for NASA’s Artemis program fell short of requests and the president will handle the Biden executive branch. “NASA’s FY 2021 budget request requested 3 3.3 billion for the program, but the final comprehensive allocation bill, implemented in December, provided 8 50,850 million,” he said. SpaceNews wrote Lack of Artemis funding is the main reason behind the decision to postpone this next phase of contract lending contract.
Now, while 24 850 million AS is much less than the 3.3 billion, NASA hoped to stay on track with its ambitious goal of landing humans on the moon by 2024, the agency is still “shooting for the 2024 deadline,” a NASA associate said. According to Kathy Luders Space News, the administrator for human research and operations said at a January 14 meeting of NASA’s advisory committee.
Although the Biden administration has not yet commented on its plans for the agency or whether it will meet the 2024 lunar deadline set by former President Donald Trump’s administration, the Democratic Party’s platform refers to humans returning to the moon, according to Spaz.
Email Chelsea Gohd at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @speed.com and Facebook.
