{"id":285036,"date":"2022-11-15T22:33:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T02:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-484003"},"modified":"2023-09-29T18:22:26","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T22:22:26","slug":"nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Awards SpaceX Second Contract Option for Artemis Moon Landing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Artist\u2019s rendering of SpaceX Starship human lander design. \" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg 4800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Artist\u2019s rendering of SpaceX Starship human lander design.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eSpaceXu003c\/emu003eu003c\/strongu003e<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Editor\u2019s note: <\/strong>This release was updated Tuesday, Nov. 15, to include the contract modification value.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA has awarded a contract modification to SpaceX to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this addition, SpaceX will provide a second crewed landing demonstration mission in 2027 as part of NASA\u2019s Artemis IV mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReturning astronauts to the Moon to learn, live, and work is a bold endeavor. With multiple planned landers, from SpaceX and future partners, NASA will be better positioned to accomplish the missions of tomorrow: conducting more science on the surface of the Moon than ever before and preparing for crewed missions to Mars,\u201d said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Known as Option B, the modification follows an award to SpaceX in July 2021 under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/nextstep\/humanlander2\">NextSTEP-2<\/a>) Appendix H Option A contract. NASA previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-provides-update-to-astronaut-moon-lander-plans-under-artemis\">announced<\/a> plans to pursue this Option B with SpaceX.\u00a0The contract modification has a value of about $1.15 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cContinuing our collaborative efforts with SpaceX through Option B furthers our resilient plans for regular crewed transportation to the lunar surface and establishing a long-term human presence under Artemis,\u201d said Lisa Watson-Morgan, manager for the Human Landing System program at NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/marshall\/home\/index.html\">Marshall Space Flight Center<\/a> in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cThis critical work will help us focus on the development of sustainable, service-based lunar landers anchored to NASA\u2019s requirements for regularly recurring missions to the lunar surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim of this new work under Option B is to develop and demonstrate a Starship lunar lander that meets NASA\u2019s sustaining requirements for missions beyond Artemis III, including docking with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/gateway\/overview\">Gateway<\/a>, accommodating four crew members, and delivering more mass to the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA initially selected\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon\">SpaceX<\/a>\u00a0to develop a human landing system variant of Starship to land the next American astronauts on the Moon under Artemis III, which will mark humanity\u2019s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years. As part of that contract, SpaceX will also conduct an uncrewed demonstration mission to the Moon prior to Artemis III.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The agency is pursuing two parallel paths for human lunar landers developed according to NASA\u2019s sustained requirements to increase the competitive pool of capable industry providers \u2013 the existing contract with SpaceX and another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-pursues-astronaut-lunar-landers-for-future-artemis-moon-missions\">solicitation<\/a> released earlier this year. The other solicitation, NextSTEP-2 Appendix P, is open to all other U.S. companies to develop additional human landing system capabilities and includes uncrewed and crewed demonstration missions from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Astronaut Moon landers are a vital part of NASA\u2019s deep space exploration plans, along with the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, ground systems, spacesuits and rovers, and Gateway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis\/\">Artemis<\/a>, NASA \u00a0will send a suite of new\u00a0lunar science instruments and technology demonstrations\u00a0to study the Moon, land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, establish a long term lunar presence, and more. The agency will leverage its Artemis experiences and technologies to prepare for the next giant leap \u2013 sending astronauts to Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">For more information about Artemis, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemis\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-end-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s note: This release was updated Tuesday, Nov. 15, to include the contract modification value. NASA has awarded a contract modification to SpaceX to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis. With this addition, SpaceX will provide a second crewed landing demonstration mission [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":418,"featured_media":286956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"418","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2656,2681,2920,2876,3788,2864],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[11378,12008],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Awards SpaceX Second Contract Option for Artemis Moon Landing","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg"},"articleSection":"Humans in Space","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura L. Means"}],"creator":["Laura L. 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Means\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":286956,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0.jpg","title":"spacex_starship_hls_artemis_iii_2_crew_0","alt":"Artist\u2019s rendering of SpaceX Starship human lander design.","caption":"Artist\u2019s rendering of SpaceX Starship human lander design."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285036"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/418"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285036"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":393276,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285036\/revisions\/393276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285036"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=285036"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=285036"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=285036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}