The space agency is on track for sustainable human exploration of the Moon for the first time in history
The US space agency on Thursday announced it has selected Elon Musk-run SpaceX, Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin and Dynetics (a Leidos company) to design and develop human landing systems (HLS) for the agency’s Artemis programme, one of which will land the first woman and next man on the surface of the Moon by 2024.
The total combined value for all awarded contracts is $967 million for the 10-month base period. « With these contract awards, America is moving forward with the final step needed to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024, including the incredible moment when we will see the first woman set foot on the lunar surface, » said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
NASA is on track for sustainable human exploration of the Moon for the first time in history. « This is the first time since the Apollo era that NASA has direct funding for a human landing system, and now we have companies on contract to do the work for the Artemis programme, » he said in a statement.
