NASA Names Contractors for Lunar Lander Concept Development Work

NASA has awarded five fifteen-month contracts totaling $145.8 million for the development of human landing system concepts to ensure a long-term human presence on the Moon.

The winning companies are Blue Origin Federation, Dynetics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX.

The contractors will have to factor in system performance, design, construction standards, mission assurance requirements, interfaces, safety, crew health accommodations and medical capabilities in their concept designs. They must also conduct critical component tests and tech maturation efforts to mitigate lunar lander risks, NASA said.

Contract work will inform the strategy and requirements for a future NASA solicitation aimed at providing regular astronaut transportation from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon, which, according to Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at the NASA headquarters, is a major goal of the Artemis program.

“This critical step lays the foundation for U.S. leadership in learning more about the Moon and for learning how to live and work in deep space for future missions farther into the solar system,” Lueders said in a statement.

Industry is playing a big role in the space agency’s bid to explore the lunar surface.

Recently, NASA’s Johnson Space Center released a request for information to gauge industry’s ability to fulfill its lunar terrain vehicle requirements.

JSC said it needs an LTV to enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface farther than before and exceed the area covered by previous Apollo rovers.