Florida, USA.- The Rocket Company of Jeff Bezos got a NASA contract to take astronauts to the Moontwo years after losing to SpaceX.
Blue Origin was awarded a $3.4 billion contract Friday to lead a team to develop a moon landing module called Blue Moon. It will be used to transport astronauts to the lunar surface starting in 2029, after a couple of missions with the crew of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
NASA will take astronauts to lunar orbit using their own rockets and capsules, but you want private companies to take it from there.
NASA administrator bill nelsonHe said the agency wants different moon landing options as it seeks to return the United States to the Moon more than half a century after the end of the Apollo program of lunar missions.
blue origin is contributing billions of dollars, In addition to the NASA contract, to help establish a permanent presence on the Moon. “We have a lot to do before we successfully land and return astronauts,” said Blue Origin Vice President John Couluris.
Two years ago, blue origin filed suit after the POT will grant to SpaceX the contract for the first lunar mission. A federal judge upheld the space agency’s decision.
The Artemis program of the POT, which follows the Apollo moon flights of the 1960s and 1970s, began with a successful test flight late last year. Launched on the new moon rocket of the POTan Orion unmanned capsule entered lunar orbit before returning to Earth.
The next flight of Artemis it will take place late next year, when a Canadian and three American astronauts fly to the Moon and back, but without landing. Two Americans will descend to the lunar surface aboard a spacecraft SpaceX on the next mission, not before the end of 2025.
Like SpaceX, blue origin plans to practice the moon landing without a crew, before boarding the astronauts.
Meanwhile he starship shiny stainless steel has a sci-fi look, bluemoon it looks more like a traditional capsule placed on a tall compartment with legs. The latter will be located 16 meters (52 feet) above the Moon.
Both companies’ landing landers are expected to be reusable.
blue origin will use his rocket New Glennstill in development, for its lunar missions since Cape Canaveral. Starship, the world’s largest rocket, debuted last month in southern Texasbut the test flight ended with an explosion and fireball within minutes of takeoff.
The team of blue origin includes five partners: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Draper, Astrobotic Technology, and Honeybee Robotics.
Only one other bid was submitted for bidding on the contract, according to NASA.
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