Not Only Relying On SpaceX, NASA Is Looking For Other Companies To Build Landers On The Moon

NASA opens up opportunities for other vendors to make landers on the Moon. (photo: Doc. NASA)

JAKARTA - Soon NASA will bring astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. However, it seems that the space agency does not only rely on SpaceX as a lander on the Moon.

NASA wants other companies, beyond Elon Musk's SpaceX, to propose new lunar landers on its Artemis project. The project aims to put humans on the lunar surface again.

"Under this new approach, NASA is asking a US company to propose a lander concept capable of transporting astronauts between lunar orbit and the lunar surface. This is for the mission beyond Artemis III, which will land the first astronauts on the Moon in more than 50 years," said NASA.

Artemis is NASA's ongoing effort to revive human plans to go to the Moon. Its purpose is for scientific discoveries, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers. NASA has successfully landed humans on the Moon on the Apollo missions half a century ago.

Artemis III astronauts will touch down on the Moon aboard a @SpaceX Starship Human Landing System.

We will be asking U.S. companies to develop astronaut Moon landers for @NASAArtemis missions beyond #Artemis III: https://t.co/8HHzEKWhuf pic.twitter.com/Z32ITvK6EW

— NASA (@NASA) March 23, 2022

The plane is named after Artemis, who was the twin brother of Apollo in Greek mythology. The project is helping NASA establish a long-term exploration of the Moon as a precursor to the human mission to Mars. NASA plans to spend around $100 billion on the Artemis project.

Now, NASA will ask all private sector companies to propose a lunar lander concept, rather than building it themselves or relying solely on SpaceX.

"This strategy accelerates progress toward sustainable, long-term lander capability by early 2026 or 2027," said Lisa Watson-Morgan, Program Manager for NASA's Human Landing Systems Program.

"We hope there are two companies that bring astronauts safely on their landers to the lunar surface under NASA's guidance, before we call for service, which could result in many experienced providers on the market," he added.

Launching ZDNet, Friday, March 25, according to Lisa, NASA wants a new lander to be able to dock to a space station orbiting the moon called Gateway. This is to increase crew capacity, and transport more research and technology to the lunar surface.

In fact, NASA already has a $2.9 billion contract with SpaceX to build a lunar launcher but the work is now open to all other US companies.

Seeing this opportunity, it's likely that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space travel company, Blue Origin, will make another bid. Previously they had been rejected by NASA, but now the opportunity is open again for a piece of the lunar lander project.

"Blue Origin is thrilled that NASA is creating competition with the procurement of a second human landing system on the moon," a Blue Origin spokesperson told CNET.

"Blue Origin stands ready to compete and remains highly committed to Artemis' success. We will continue to work closely with NASA to achieve the United States' goal of returning to the Moon as soon as possible."

Earlier this month NASA brought the massive Orion spacecraft to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for liftoff. The Orion is a "savage" vehicle, measuring 322 feet or 98 meters in length and weighing 3.5 million pounds or 1587 tons.