As part of the Artemis lunar program, NASA is working closely with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company. But it seems that the American space agency is trying to secure its back, and is now looking for a second partner capable of producing a lunar lander.
The ambitious lunar program NASA’s Artmeis, which aims to return men to the moon in 2026bet on close collaboration between public and private. The American agency has called on several industry giants, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. But it’s ultimately Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, which was chosen to design the lunar lander.
Indeed, Musk’s huge spaceship, the Starship, seems ideal for this task. It should also make its first orbital flight next May. But it seems that SpaceX will not be able to retain exclusivity in the moon landing market. NASA announced yesterday (March 23) that it was considering supporting the development of a second lunar lander, turning to a second private company.
Lisa Watson-Morgan, Lunar Lander System Program Manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, says:We expect that two separate companies safely transport astronauts to the surface of the Moon under the direction of NASA […] which could lead to the presence of several experienced suppliers on the market“.
NASA’s Artemis: SpaceX loses exclusivity
Originally, NASA intended to select several private landers for Artemis, to provide some redundancy and to encourage manufacturers to engage in competition. But Congress has not allocated enough funds to support the development of several vehicles, and NASA therefore chose only SpaceX in April 2021. This decision then sparked protests from the other two finalists in the tender, Dynetics and Blue Origin.
In October 2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee finally ordered NASA to choose a second company to develop a crewed lunar lander, while slightly increasing the budget allocated to the US space agency.
Source : space.com