An early conceptual image of SpaceX’s lunar cargo lander, which NASA will need to deliver 26,000 to 33,000 pounds of payload to the moon. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
NASA has selected SpaceX and Blue Origin to perform lunar cargo demonstration missions, which will deliver a lunar rover and a habitat to the moon within the next decade.
SpaceX is tasked with transporting a Japanese-developed lunar rover by fiscal year 2032, while Blue Origin will deliver a lunar surface habitat as early as the following year.
These cargo assignments leverage the companies' existing Human Landing System (HLS) contracts for the Artemis program, aiming to ensure mission flexibility and support future deep space exploration.
NASA has picked SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver a lunar rover and habitat to the moon within the next decade.
The space agency last week announced it will assign two lunar cargo demonstration missions—one to each partner—under the companies’ contracts to build human landing systems (HLS) for the Artemis moon mission program.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
