Lunar landers created by SpaceX and Blue Origin under contracts with NASA will be used to deliver equipment to the Moon during the Artemis program, the American space agency said.
Blue Origin lander concept. Image source: Blue Origin/NASA
Both companies are developing systems to carry astronauts to the Moon for the Artemis missions: SpaceX for the Artemis III mission, and Blue Origin for Artemis V. In 2023, NASA asked both companies to develop cargo versions of their landers, capable of delivering equipment and other cargo to the Moon with a common weighing from 11.8 to 15 tons.
NASA said it plans to commission SpaceX and Blue Origin to carry out demonstration missions to refine large cargo landers after testing and certification. The agency will send the proposal to the companies in early 2025.
SpaceX is expected to use a cargo version of Starship to deliver a pressurized rover being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the Moon “no earlier than” 2032, while Blue Origin will be tasked with delivering a habitation module to the lunar surface no earlier than 2033. Both launches will be carried out as part of NASA’s Artemis program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
«Having two lunar lander suppliers with different approaches to crew and cargo landing capabilities provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular rhythm of lunar landings to continue discovery and scientific opportunities,” said Stephen D. Creech, Associate Deputy Administrator on technical issues at NASA for the Moon-Mars program.