NASA Picks Human Lander System Developers
NASA Names Companies to Develop Human Landers for Artemis Moon Missions, NASA
“The following companies were selected to design and build human landing systems:
— Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, is developing the Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV) – a three-stage lander to be launched on its own New Glenn Rocket System and ULA Vulcan launch system.
— Dynetics (a Leidos company) of Huntsville, Alabama, is developing the Dynetics Human Landing System (DHLS) – a single structure providing the ascent and descent capabilities that will launch on the ULA Vulcan launch system.
— SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, is developing the Starship – a fully integrated lander that will use the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket.”
– Maxar Selected to Support Dynetics in Designing and Building a Lunar Human Landing System for NASA
– NASA Selects Blue Origin National Team to Return Humans to the Moon
– SNC to Lead Crew Module Development for Critical Piece of NASA’s Artemis Program
– Dynetics to develop NASA’s Artemis Human Lunar Landing System
– CSF Statement on NASA’s Selection of Multiple Commercial Human Lander Awardees
– AIAA Statement: NASA selection of Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX for Artemis Lunar Lander Development
– Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Comments on HLS Awards
The SpaceX Starship is the big deal. If it succeeds the nature of Space exploration and development changes forever! Great decision by Administrator Bridenstine. ?
Second most important is that if SLS/Orion continue to fall behind schedule it doesn’t matter as the landers don’t depend on it since in an emergency FH/Dragon2 could be quickly adapted to preform the same function of delivering astronauts to lunar orbit.
Looks like Boeing’s human spaceflight heritage ends with Starliner… They need to roll up their sleeves and get working to get back in the game.
Overall the probably of reaching the Moon with Artemis have gone up significantly.?
The Adminiatrator’s willingness to fund SX is the headline here, but perhaps as you point out the real news is the hand off from Old to New Space.
Yes, but it also shows Administrator Bridenstine’s political genius.
The inclusion of Dynetics, headquartered in Hunstville with numerous employees working there while including both ULA and Tuskegee University means that it will be impossible for Senator Shelby to block funding for the lunar lander program. It would impact Alabama too heavily.
While including the National Team, with Jeff Bezo’s deep pockets, ownership of the Washington Post, and long time NASA contractors NG and LM will bring their strong and very experienced Congressional lobbyists to the battle for funding the lunar lander program. Also, being long time NASA Contractors it should bring support and buy in from the NASA rank and file to making it work.
So with those two solid anchors Adiminstrator Bridenstine’s pick of SpaceX as the third firm will be accepted by Congress, or at least puts them in a position where their vested interests out weight any desires to kill it for that reason. Administrator Bridenstine is clearly as skilled at playing the Washington game as Administrator Webb was, which is what I always felt is the key function of an Administrator, getting the money from Congress so NASA engineers are free to do their job. Its possible with this line up Artemis might even survive a change in Administrations.
It is also an end run around Shelby’s threat to kill all NASA space tech if they funded development of fuel depots as it looks like SpaceX is essential using a Starship as one. I wouldn’t bet my money that this program lasts very long regardless of who is in power in D.C. given the deficits incurred responding to the virus. The hope is that Bezos or Musk continue development on their on dime. Although Musk was tweeting about selling all his possessions.
The current contracts are for ten month studies. That means they are covered by the current budget. They will be essentially over before the next President takes office (or the current President remains in office) and the next session of Congress starts. So SpaceX will get that $135 million, and that’s not tied to the election cycle. That’s convenient timing.
And I don’t worry about Mr. Musk’s tweets. They hurt stock prices for Tesla, but SpaceX isn’t publicly traded. And SpaceX has a sane President and COO. Other than that, Mr. Musk’s tweets seem to be a flash in the pan and don’t do much more than confirm his reputation as, let’s say, an eccentric.
I was thinking of the program (actually building and flying a lander) not this specific contract. I agreed with Mr. Musk that Tesla’s stock is overpriced. I don’t know what prompted the “selling all his possessions ” tweet. Is he worried that a depression is coming? Does he find them distractions from focusing on Tesla and SpaceX? Perhaps he was indulging in the pastime that got the IG’ s attention!
I don’t know what prompted the “selling all his possessions ” tweet.
It has to do with the California lockdown. The entire US economy is in crisis because of the lockdown, and that includes Tesla.
As we used to say in Chicago, Elon Musk likes pulling people’s chains to see how they react. Twitter is the perfect platform for doing so. From what I understand at the moment Elon is living in Boca Chica Village and getting his hands dirty working day and night on the getting the Starship production line going. As they say down here in Texas he is in Hog Heaven with SN4 on the test stand, SN5 rapidly coming together to follow it along with the stainless steel and Raptors to build the follow on vehicles.
Given how things are locked down in California, and the high taxes, it’s understandable he is threatening to move to Texas full time, hence the Tweet. If his Tweet on Tesla gets him removed as the CEO I suspect he won’t shed any tears as it would give him the excuse to cash out and go all out on building rockets. Since the heavy lifting is done on Tesla, with the Semi and Cybertruck really for production, it could probably be turned over to a good administrator without harm.