NASA says it’s welcoming lunar lander concepts from commercial companies other than SpaceX, which already has a contract to land astronauts on the moon.
NASA has announced it’s welcoming lunar lander concepts from commercial companies other than SpaceX, which already has a contract to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon in the mid-2020s as part of the Artemis program. Accepted designs will be capable of transporting astronauts and equipment between the moon-orbiting Gateway station and the lunar surface as part of NASA’s long-term goal to create a sustainable human presence on the moon, with a view to using the base as a stepping stone for the first crewed mission to Mars. “Under Artemis, NASA will carry out a series of groundbreaking missions on and around the moon to prepare for the next giant leap for humanity: a crewed mission to Mars,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said on Wednesday, March 23.
