[ad_1]
If NASA officials comply with their wishes, it’s not just SpaceX’s trip to the moon. it could be a blessing Jeff Bezos’ space dreams.
As part of Artemis, NASA’s program to send astronauts back to the moon, the agency wanted to hire two companies to enable 2019 landers to take their astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface. But with insufficient funding from Congress, the agency decided in April last year to give SpaceX just one contract.
NASA officials said other companies will have the opportunity to compete for future missions.
On Wednesday, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the space agency will soon announce a competition to develop a second lunar lander.
“I promised the competition,” said Mr. Nelson, “here it is.”
The latter company would share NASA’s lunar missions – once a year for about a decade – with SpaceX. “These are not isolated assignments,” said Mr. Nelson. “Each one will build on past progress.”
Similar to SpaceX’s contract last year, the second company would receive funding for two landings – one without astronauts to demonstrate the spacecraft’s capabilities, then a second mission with astronauts.
The goal will be a crewed mission in 2026 or 2027, said Jim Free, NASA’s assistant director of exploration systems development.
The Moonlanders follow NASA’s latest approach to seeking fixed-price contracts, specifying specific requirements, but encouraging innovation by allowing private companies to create their own designs to meet the agency’s needs and compete on price. This approach led SpaceX’s capsule carrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. In the past, NASA often spearheaded the development of rockets and spacecraft, and companies were often paid much higher costs to carry out plans.
Still, the plan for a second moon landing depends on Congress getting the money for it. Mr Nelson said the president would not discuss how much the program could cost until a budget proposal for fiscal year 2023 is announced early next week.
After SpaceX was named the sole winner last year, the two companies that lost — Blue Origin, the rocket company started by Amazon founder Mr. Bezos; and Dynetics, a defense contractor, filed protests with the federal Government Accountability Office. Blue Origin’s bid was twice SpaceX’s price, and Dynetics’ bid was even higher.
GAO decided against both companies.
Blue Origin later sued NASA in federal court. lost again.
Blue Origin and Dynetics now have a second chance, like other companies willing to submit a bid. Lisa Watson-Morgan, NASA’s human landing system program manager, said the agency plans to decide on a second landing early next year.
Dynetics said in a statement that the company “is pleased to learn of NASA’s plans” and looks forward to reviewing its upcoming call for proposals.
Blue Origin also applauded the announcement. “Blue Origin is excited that NASA is creating competition by supplying a second human moon landing system,” the company said in a statement. “Blue Origin is ready to compete and is deeply committed to the success of Artemis.”
The requirements for the second spacecraft will be more ambitious – more cargo, longer stays on the surface – reflecting the desire for more ambitious missions to the moon.
Also, Ms Watson-Morgan said NASA will negotiate with SpaceX under its current contract to build an all-terrain vehicle that meets the new requirements.
NASA’s journey to send astronauts back to the moon has been long and winding, and the current 2025 goal of adding new American footprints on the moon seems unrealistically optimistic.
Still, NASA is making progress.
A giant rocket Space Launch System, finally on the launch pad At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, though it will stop there for now. Next month, NASA will do a dress rehearsal of the countdown – feeding the rocket but not firing the engines. The rocket will then return to the Vehicle Assembly Building for final preparations for an uncrewed test launch called Artemis 1 – essentially a huge, long garage for rockets – which could happen as early as this summer. He would send a capsule called Orion around the Moon and back to Earth.
The second Artemis mission will be the first for astronauts to board the Orion crew capsule atop the SLS rocket. Penned for May 2024, this flight will orbit the moon before returning to Earth.
The first moon landing would take place no earlier than 2025, during Artemis 3. The four astronauts would again take an Orion capsule and dock in lunar orbit. SpaceX Starship spacecraft, there will be waiting for them. Two of the astronauts – the first woman and the first black person – will be transported to Starship and then land near the moon’s south pole and stay on the surface for about a week, NASA says.
SpaceX launched a series of Starship prototypes from its location in South Texas to an altitude of about six miles to demonstrate how it would drop to slow down and descend vertically after re-entering the atmosphere. In May, after four failed attempts, one of the prototypes landed successfully. SpaceX aims to launch the first orbital flight of a Starship in the coming months.
The goal of returning astronauts to the moon was revived during the Trump administration. NASA officials then and now under the Biden administration have insisted the goal this time is not the end, but the beginning of larger human explorations of the Moon, and ultimately further away from the solar system.
With Wednesday’s announcement, NASA is trying to turn that hope into an ongoing program.
[ad_2]
Source link