NASA to assign cargo missions to SpaceX and Blue Origin for Artemis

Reuters Events SMR and Advanced Reactor 2025

NASA to assign cargo missions to SpaceX and Blue Origin for Artemis
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 20, 2024

NASA is set to deepen its Artemis campaign, targeting long-term lunar exploration, by assigning key cargo missions to SpaceX and Blue Origin under their current contracts. This move supports NASA's goal of fostering scientific advancement and sustainable operations on the Moon.

Following successful design certification reviews, NASA plans to award demonstration missions to SpaceX and Blue Origin to further develop and test their large cargo landers. This initiative stems from a 2023 request for the development of cargo variants of the human landing systems being prepared for Artemis III, IV, and V.

"NASA is planning for both crewed missions and future services missions to the Moon beyond Artemis V," said Stephen D. Creech, assistant deputy associate administrator for technical, Moon to Mars Program Office. "The Artemis campaign is a collaborative effort with international and industry partners. Having two lunar lander providers with different approaches for crew and cargo landing capability provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings for continued discovery and scientific opportunity."

The agency anticipates at least two missions for large cargo deliveries. SpaceX's Starship cargo lander is expected to transport a pressurized rover, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), to the lunar surface as early as fiscal year 2032, supporting Artemis VII and subsequent missions. Blue Origin is set to deliver a lunar surface habitat by fiscal year 2033.

"Based on current design and development progress for both crew and cargo landers and the Artemis mission schedules for the crew lander versions, NASA assigned a pressurized rover mission for SpaceX and a lunar habitat delivery for Blue Origin," said Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager of NASA's Human Landing System at Marshall Space Flight Center. "These large cargo lander demonstration missions aim to optimize our NASA and industry technical expertise, resources, and funding as we prepare for the future of deep space exploration."

SpaceX will advance its cargo lander preparations under the NextSTEP Appendix H contract's Option B, while Blue Origin will operate under NextSTEP Appendix P. NASA intends to initiate a formal request for proposals to both companies in early 2025.

Artemis aims to push lunar exploration further than ever before, establishing the groundwork for humanity's eventual journey to Mars. Supporting this vision, NASA's space exploration architecture includes the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, exploration ground systems, commercial landers, next-gen spacesuits, the Gateway station, and future lunar rovers.