Artist's impression of a future version of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, called SpaceX Dragon XL. ... [+]
SpaceX, which regularly sends spacecraft filled with cargo to the International Space Station, plans to expand that business to human moon missions.
NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to send spacecraft to the planned Gateway lunar space station. Gateway is expected to support an Artemis program human moon landing in the year 2024. SpaceX will use a more advanced version of its Dragon spacecraft, called Dragon XL, to send science experiments, supplies, food and other crucial materials astronauts need at Gateway or on the moon’s surface.
While SpaceX's share of the business was not disclosed in a press release, NASA stated it has allocated a maximum of $7 billion across all contracts to supply Gateway. Each cargo spacecraft will stay docked to Gateway for six to 12 months at a time. (A typical ISS vehicle will remain for up to six months.)
“Returning to the moon and supporting future space exploration requires affordable delivery of significant amounts of cargo,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, in a NASA statement.
Artist's impression of a spacecraft ascending from the moon, with Earth in the background.
“Through our partnership with NASA, SpaceX has been delivering scientific research and critical supplies to the International Space Station since 2012, and we are honored to continue the work beyond Earth’s orbit and carry Artemis cargo to Gateway.”
The SpaceX announcement is yet another move for NASA to bring companies to the moon, including landers and rovers and other moonbound cargo vehicles aboard the Commercial Lunar Services Program. CLPS is supposed to start up in earnest in the next few years to support human missions in the mid-2020s.
But SpaceX is the first to send cargo directly to the Gateway space station, and it’s probable that other companies will join the company in the coming months, as NASA prefers to have more than one provider for essential services.
“This contract award is another critical piece of our plan to return to the moon sustainably,” said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement, referring to NASA’s desire to have a supply chain of businesses creating a new lunar ecosystem of companies for human exploration.
“This deep space commercial cargo capability integrates yet another American industry partner into our plans for human exploration at the moon in preparation for a future mission to Mars,” he added.
