spacetoday.net: NASA selects Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX for lunar lander studies

Posted: Sun, May 3, 2020, 2:08 PM ET (1808 GMT)
SpaceX Starship lunar lander (SpaceX)

NASA announced Thursday selected Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX to being work on designs for human lunar landers for the agency's Artemis program. The three companies received awards worth a combined $967 million Thursday for NASA's Human Landing System program. Those awards cover 10-month studies to refine the designs of the companies' proposed landers, leading up to a continuation review in early 2021 where NASA plans to identify which lander is most likely to be ready for a 2024 mission, while leaving open the option to continue supporting other companies' landers. Blue Origin and Dynetics had previously disclosed their plans for lunar landers, while SpaceX offered a version of its Starship lander. Boeing, which had announced it bid a lander that could launch on SLS, did not receive an award, but neither the company nor NASA's source selection statement offered details why it was not selected.