NASA is going back to the Moon and it intends to stay . The exact date is a morsel unsealed right now for several cause , but the plan of having retentive - term explorations of our natural satellite requires a suite of technologies that take testing and planning .
For this reason , early this year , the space means set about theNext Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships ( NextSTEP-2 ) . NASA want to involve commercial partners to make promotion towards next human landing place concepts , carry risk - reduction activities , and even help the agency work out how to well use private companies to ensure success in the future crew lunar missions .
Five companies were award declaration for a total of $ 146 million . They were Blue Origin , Dynetics , Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , and SpaceX. The work will be carry over the next 15 months .
“ Establishing a long - term human presence on the Moon through go back serve using lunar Lander is a major Artemis goal , ” Kathy Lueders , NASA ’s associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at Headquarters in Washington , said in astatement . “ This critical step lays the substructure for U.S. leaders in check more about the Moon and for acquire how to endure and work in deep place for succeeding charge farther into the solar system . ”
The piece of work of these companies will mold NASA ’s strategy in full term of technologies and requirements in getting astronauts to and from the Moon . These private enterprises will prove critical tech , and perform evaluations of important vehicles such as future lunar lander . performance , purpose , twist standards , safety , and the health of the cosmonaut need to be full realize before any such fomite can be employed in space .
And the human landing system is one ofseveral reasonswhy the original goal of the recurrence to the Moon by 2024 is not live on to be feasible . NASA has awarded the construction of the first lunar lander vehicle to SpaceX and Jeff Bezos ’ Blue Origin did n’t take it well . The society first challenged NASA ’s decision at the US Government Accountability Office and havinglost that appealtook NASA court . So NASA made the decisionto stop work on the landeras the US Court of Federal Claims investigates . This should be resolved by November 1 , one way or another .
" collaborationism with our partners is critical to achieving NASA ’s long - term Artemis lunar exploration goal , ” added Lisa Watson - Morgan , Human Landing System Program managing director at NASA ’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville , Alabama . “ By partnering with forward-looking U.S. companies , we will show a robust lunar economy while explore newfangled areas of the Moon for generations to come . ”
