Home
Science
Science News
NASA Considering Second Moon Lander for Artemis Mission Alongside SpaceX’s Starship

NASA Considering Second Moon Lander for Artemis Mission Alongside SpaceX’s Starship

NASA plans to use the Moon as a launchpad for future missions farther in space – like reaching Mars.

By Edited by Gadgets 360 Newsdesk | Updated: 25 March 2022 12:21 IST

NASA Considering Second Moon Lander for Artemis Mission Alongside SpaceX’s Starship

Photo Credit: Twitter/ @NASAArtemis

NASA roped in SpaceX to build Starship in April 2021

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

The Artemis programme is intended to land humans on the Moon
Space Launch System and Starship are nearing completion
Final tests of the rockets are expected to happen soon

NASA plans to use multiple private spacecraft to land astronauts on the Moon under its ambitious Artemis project. Initially, it had picked only the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX but it seems the US space agency has been rethinking its strategy. The agency, this week, announced that it wanted to support the development of a second privately built Moon lander to ferry astronauts. The Artemis programme is intended to land humans on the Moon after more than three decades and build a sustainable presence there by the end of this decade. NASA plans to use the Moon as a launchpad for future missions farther in space – like reaching Mars.

NASA will release a draft solicitation in the coming weeks to bring a second contender into the market for the development of a lunar lander alongside SpaceX. This activity will lay out the requirements for a future lunar landing capability that will ferry astronauts between orbit and the Moon's surface.

“We expect to have two companies safely carry astronauts in their landers to the surface of the Moon under NASA's guidance before we ask for services, which could result in multiple experienced providers in the market,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, Programme Manager for the Human Landing System Programme at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre in Alabama, in a statement.

Gigantic Asteroid BO76 to Fly by Earth at 50,000kmph This Week

Watson-Morgan added that this strategy expedites progress toward a long-term, sustaining lander capability by 2026-27.

To reach the Moon and beyond, NASA needed a powerful rocket. So, it started building one of its own — the Space Launch System. The space agency also roped in SpaceX to build another one — Starship — in April 2021. Both the rockets are nearing completion and final tests are likely to happen soon.

The plan to have multiple rocket systems for crewed missions isn't new. NASA had planned to have multiple private Moon landers for Artemis, to drive competition, and have backups; but it lacked funds. In a budget amendment in 2019, NASA had reported that it needed an additional $1.6 billion (roughly Rs. 12188.88 crore) in funding to be on schedule for a human return to the Moon by 2024.

‘Space Lettuce’ May Help Astronauts Maintain Bone Health

So, it went ahead solely with SpaceX, inviting protests from other players, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, which even sued the US government in August 2021 after NASA awarded a $2.9-billion (roughly Rs. 21,540 crore) lunar lander contract to SpaceX. It appears NASA now has assurances that it will have the funds for a second private lander.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we dive into Apple's Peek Performance event. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.