Today (May 19, 2023) NASA announced the team of companies selected to build the second spacecraft to be used in the Artemis program for landings on the Moon. Two years ago, SpaceX was the only company chosen to build a spacecraft, called the HLS (Human Landing System) to carry out the flights from the Lunar Gateway station (orbiting the Moon) to the surface of the Moon and back to the Gateway, for the Artemis III mission, and later for Artemis IV, using a version of the Starship. Because of the limitations and risk inherent in the entire continuation of the program depending on a single company, in 2022 NASA opened a call for other companies to apply to build a second spacecraft. Today, the result was announced: the consortium led by the company Blue Origin, which will design and build the spacecraft called Blue Moon:
We selected @BlueOrigin to develop the human landing system for the #Artemis V mission. This component for deep space transportation will help us in our goal of sending astronauts to the surface of the Moon and returning them home safely: https://t.co/KMq5fUn0ll pic.twitter.com/mpfUjWr6OX
– NASA (@NASA) May 19, 2023
Although it is usually refererred to as “Blue Origin’s ship”, it will be the product of a partnership between several companies in the sector:
- Lockheed Martin – cislunar transporter, to refuel spacecraft orbiting the Earth and the Moon
- Draper – guidance, navigation, training and simulations
- Astrobotic – cargo accommodation equipment
- Honeybee Robotics – unloading equipment
- Boeing – docking systems
All the launches will be made with Blue Origin’s own rocket, the New Glenn. A notable point about Blue Origin’s choice is that the company will finance more than half of the cost out of its own pocket (which at Blue Origin generally means out of Jeff Bezzos’ pocket, not from contracts, loans and investors). The lump sum awarded by NASA is $3.4 billion, similar to that already awarded to SpaceX ($4 billion), but to this will be added more than $3.4 billion from Blue Origin.
Blue Moon will have two configurations: one reusable for manned landings, and one for cargo able to deliver 20 tons (if reusable) or 30 tons (one-way trip) to the Moon’s surface. This will be the first long-term use of cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen, which brings the challenge of how to keep these two propellants at cryogenic temperatures (-180° C for oxygen, -253° C for hydrogen). To date, no mission has kept hydrogen cryogenic for more than 17 days, and there was a constant loss of hydrogen and oxygen through evaporation. But Blue Origin, in partnership with NASA, has been working for several years on a cryogenic refrigeration system that will make it possible to keep the hydrogen without loss, for an indefinite period of time, making long stays in space possible.
The first manned mission to the Blue Moon, Artemis V, is scheduled for 2029, with an unmanned test mission a year earlier. With the two vehicles combined, the Artemis missions should bring one manned landing on the Moon per year, with a stay of up to 30 days on each, starting with Artemis III.
Find out more at
Our article on the Artemis program
Official announcement
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-blue-origin-as-second-artemis-lunar-lander-provider
This post is also available in:
Português
