WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — NASA is in search of proposals for sustainable lunar lander improvement and demonstration because the company works towards a daily cadence of Moon landings. Through Artemis missions, NASA is making ready to return people to the Moon, together with the primary lady and first particular person of shade, for long-term scientific discovery and exploration.
Under the solicitation, Human Landing System Sustaining Lunar Development, NASA has offered necessities for corporations inquisitive about creating and demonstrating astronaut Moon landers. These efforts will pave the best way for a number of corporations to supply recurring Moon touchdown companies past the Artemis III mission, which is deliberate for no sooner than 2025.
Companies chosen beneath this contract can be required to carry out one uncrewed and one crewed lunar touchdown demonstration. NASA will certify any lander system to satisfy its necessities previous to the crewed demonstration mission(s).
“Work done under this solicitation, in addition to current lander development and studies taking place, will help build the foundation for long-term deep space exploration,” stated Lisa Watson-Morgan, program supervisor for the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Partnering with American companies to do that work now allows us to leverage NASA’s knowledge and expertise to encourage technological innovations for a sustained presence at the Moon.”
The remaining name for proposals comes after NASA included trade suggestions on the draft solicitation, launched March 31, encouraging corporations to ship feedback to assist form a key element of the company’s human exploration Artemis structure. NASA additionally hosted a digital trade day in April to current an outline of the solicitation and to supply corporations a possibility to ask clarifying questions and supply feedback.
NASA’s present contract with SpaceX consists of each an uncrewed and a crewed lunar touchdown demonstration that’s a part of the Artemis III mission, marking humanity’s first return to the Moon in additional than 50 years. The company plans to train an choice beneath this contract, often called Option B, asking the corporate to evolve its present Artemis III Starship Human Landing System design to satisfy an prolonged set of necessities for sustaining missions on the Moon and conduct one other crewed demonstration touchdown.
These concurrent sustaining lander improvement efforts will meet NASA’s wants for recurring, long-term entry to the lunar floor, akin to the flexibility to dock with Gateway for crew switch, accommodate an elevated crew measurement, and ship extra mass to the floor.
NASA’s Artemis efforts embrace sending a collection of recent science instruments and technology demonstrations to review the Moon, touchdown the primary lady and first particular person of shade on the Moon, and extra. The company will leverage its Artemis experiences and applied sciences to organize for the subsequent big leap – sending astronauts to Mars.
Proposals for the sustainable lunar lander improvement and demonstration are due Nov. 15.
For extra details about this procurement, go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/nextstep/humanlander4
SOURCE NASA
