NASA has just confirmed the signing of a major new contract with SpaceX. The company, which is owned by Elon Musk, has already been chosen as the lunar lander for the Artemis 3 mission. Preferred over Jeff Bezos’ nose and beard, SpaceX has just been chosen again by NASA.
The US space agency explains in a press release that the second lunar landing will take place aboard a Starship, the vessel under development by SpaceX. “The goal of this work is to develop and demonstrate a Starship lunar lander that meets NASA’s maintenance requirements for missions beyond Artemis III” explains NASA in its speech.
SpaceX: NASA’s special partner
The US space agency is asking SpaceX to review the Starship plans so that the craft is able to make the Moon-Earth trip (during Artemis 3), but also to ensure the Artemis 4 mission. ISS) SpaceX was asked to develop the Starship feature so that it could dock with the Gateway on its journey.
With this new clause in its gigantic contract, SpaceX should win the tidy sum of 4 billion dollars. Elon Musk’s company, with its participation in the Artemis 3 mission, had already pocketed a trifle of 2.9 billion dollars, but it is now 1.15 billion that is being added to the total bill.
According to Paul Martin, NASA’s Inspector General, the two missions (Artemis 3 and Artemis 4) will take place between 2025 and 2027. If the Artemis program were to reach its peak in 2024 with Artemis 3, various delays have occurred over the past few . year, year and delayed the start date.
Two flights to the moon in 2026 and 2027?
Today, the official program ensures an arrival on the Moon in 2025, but several voices within NASA are already leaning towards 2026. With this new schedule, Artemis 4 should leave Earth at the end of 2027 before sending four astronauts to the surface of the Moon.
The calendar is constantly changing, and many things will now depend on the success of the Artemis 1 mission, which started on November 16. For a few hours, the Orion module has been heading towards the Moon, it should go around it before returning to Earth, a crucial phase of the mission.
SpaceX, for its part, continues the development of its Starship. The spacecraft has been launched several times in the past, and a first flight into orbit should take place in the coming weeks. According to Elon Musk’s promises, take-off should take place in the coming days. A flight in early 2023 seems like the most reasonable hypothesis.