Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin To Build Astronaut Lunar Lander For NASA

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin To Build Astronaut Lunar Lander For NASA

NASA's decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX $3 billion in 2021 to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
A team led by Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin won a coveted NASA contract to build a spacecraft that will send astronauts to and from the moon's surface, NASA's chief announced on Friday, capping a high-stakes contest.

NASA's decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX $3 billion in 2021 to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972.

Those initial missions using SpaceX's Starship system are slated for later this decade.

The Blue Origin contract is valued roughly $3.4 billion, NASA's exploration chief Jim Free said, with Blue Origin privately contributing "well north" of that amount, Blue Origin's lunar lander head John Couluris said.

"Honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon - this time to stay," Amazon.com billionaire founder Bezos said in a tweet after the announcement.

Blue Origin plans to build its 52-foot (16-meter) tall Blue Moon lander in a partnership with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, spacecraft software firm Draper, and robotics firm Astrobotic.

SpaceX's Starship lander is poised to conduct the first two astronaut moon landings under NASA's Artemis program, sending a pair of astronauts to the lunar surface for each mission. The Blue Moon landing, planned for 2029, is also expected to ferry two astronauts to the surface.

"Our partnership will only add to this golden age of human spaceflight," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. He added that having a second moon lander for the agency's Artemis mission promotes commercial competition, echoing a trend in recent years that reduces costs for NASA.

Friday's announcement in Washington was a long-awaited outcome for Blue Origin, which had unsuccessfully had competed for past contracts. The space company overcame a rival bid from Leidos-owned defense contractor Dynetics Inc, the head of a partnership with Northrop Grumman.

Those companies lost out to SpaceX for the 2021 contract, part of an initial moon lander procurement program. NASA under that program said it could pick up to two companies, but blamed budget constraints for only going with SpaceX.

This new contract is a boost for Bezos, who since founding Blue Origin in 2000 has invested billions into the company to compete for high-profile commercial and government space contracts with SpaceX, a dominant force in satellite launches and human spaceflight.

After losing in 2021, Blue Origin unsuccessfully fought to overturn NASA's decision to ignore its Blue Moon lander, first with a watchdog agency and then in court.

Blue Origin and lawmakers had pressured NASA to award a second lunar lander contract to promote commercial competition and ensure the agency has a backup ride to the moon. NASA in early 2022 announced the program for a second lander contract.

Couluris, who will lead Blue Origin's development of the moon lander, said Friday's award was hard fought outcome.

"We've been working for some time, and we're still ready to go," he said.
Comments

Oh ya 1 year ago
Could NASA not just dust off that tinfoil and tubing lander that they used as a display years ago and see if the American people will fall for that BS again? Russia and China have both said that they have seen no proof that man has ever been on the moon, which anyone who has at least 2 working brain cells would know

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Unveils AI App Inspired by Iron Man's Jarvis
Iranian Plots to Kill Jews in Europe Unveiled
Public Health Data Debate, Kidney Transplants, Wildfires, Typhoon Impact, and Controversial YouTube Bans: A Diverse Week in News
Sinner Makes History, Italy Upsets France, Ronaldo's 900th Career Goal, and More in Sports Highlights
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
China ends tariffs on all goods exported to China from the poorest countries in the world it has diplomatic ties with, including 33 African nations
Ukraine's Major Government Reshuffle: Andrii Sybiha Appointed New Foreign Minister
WALZ'S FOR TRUMP": Gov. Tim Walz’s family is proudly expressing their 'strong support' for former President Trump
In a public interview yesterday, Putin openly said he wants Kamala Harris to win the 2024 election.
French Woman Testifies in Landmark Rape Trial
Michel Barnier Appointed as Prime Minister of France
Britain Plans to Combat 700 Years of Nepotism in Its Governmental System by Ending Hereditary Peerships in the House of Lords
The art technique of Grandma Mei Ling, age 82
Hungary's Dependence on Russian Oil
Mongolia Refuses to Arrest Putin Despite ICC Warrant
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
Hungary's Quest for Energy Stability Amid Global Tensions
Germany's Establishment War on Democracy: Blocking the People's Choice
WHO-Led Study Finds No Link Between Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer
Russian Missile Strike Kills 49 in Poltava, Ukraine
Major Cabinet Resignations in Ukraine
Putin Defies ICC Arrest Warrant with Mongolia Visit
Frenchman On Trial for Decade-long Abuse of Drugged Wife
Today in Venezuela, November in America? Venezuela, an arrest warrant was issued against the election loser, González
The British bus driver explains to usual suspects that they cannot travel without a ticket. Education is important.
Norway Sets New Electric Vehicle Sales Record
End of an Era: Volkswagen in Historic Factory Shutdowns in Germany
Turkey officially submits application requesting to join BRICS
U.S. seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's airplane in the Dominican Republic
Switzerland Urged to Reconsider Its 500-Year Neutrality
AfD's Historic Victory in Thuringia State Election, Germany
Rising Influence of AfD Highlights Growing East-West Divide in Germany
Spanish Police Arrest Three for Ibiza Luxury Home Robberies
AfD Secures Historic Victory in East German State Elections
EU Rejects Maduro’s Election Win Claim in Venezuela
EU and UK Reinstate 100ml Liquid Rule for Airport Security
Polish PM Threatens to Block Ukraine’s EU Bid Over Historical Dispute
French Lawmakers Initiate Impeachment Against Macron
Elon Musk Warns of US Bankruptcy Due to Government Overspending
Elon Musk Accuses Brazilian Supreme Court Justice of Election Interference
Germany's Far-Right AfD Set to Win Regional Elections
Universe May Have Had a Pre-Big Bang 'Secret Life'
Israeli Union Announces Nationwide Strike After Hostages Found Dead
Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes Blocks Elon Musk's X
Volos Declares State of Emergency Due to Massive Fish Die-Off
Ukraine Successfully Test Fires First Indigenously-Made Ballistic Missile
Marseille Museum Hosts Nude Exhibition on Naturism
Russia Warns of World War III Risks Over Ukraine Conflict
Ukraine Proposes Next Peace Summit in Global South
Russia and Ukraine Exchange 115 Prisoners of War Each in UAE-Brokered Deal
×