NASA Artemis Moon Missions: SpaceX and Blue Origin Tapped for Lunar Cargo Landers

NASA is advancing lunar exploration with the Artemis campaign, engaging SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver vital equipment to the Moon.

This initiative, which includes sending a rover and a habitat, sets the stage for extended lunar stays and a future Mars exploration.

Artemis Lunar Exploration

NASA, in collaboration with its industry and international partners, is advancing efforts for long-term exploration of the Moon through the Artemis program. This campaign aims to drive scientific discovery and innovation to benefit humanity. As part of this initiative, NASA plans to expand the roles of Blue Origin and SpaceX by assigning them additional work under their existing contracts. The focus is on developing landers capable of delivering essential equipment and infrastructure to the lunar surface.

Expanding Lunar Lander Development

To achieve this, NASA intends to assign demonstration missions to SpaceX and Blue Origin, leveraging their expertise as current human landing system providers. These missions will refine the designs of large cargo landers, following successful design certification reviews. This effort builds on NASA’s 2023 request for both companies to create cargo versions of their crewed human landing systems, currently in development for Artemis III, Artemis IV, and Artemis V.

“NASA is planning for both crewed missions and future services missions to the Moon beyond Artemis V,” said Stephen D. Creech, assistant deputy associate administrator for technical, Moon to Mars Program Office. “The Artemis campaign is a collaborative effort with international and industry partners. Having two lunar lander providers with different approaches for crew and cargo landing capability provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings for continued discovery and scientific opportunity.”

Planned Lunar Deliveries

NASA plans for at least two delivery missions with large cargo. The agency intends for SpaceX’s Starship cargo lander to deliver a pressurized rover, currently in development by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), to the lunar surface no earlier than fiscal year 2032 in support of Artemis VII and later missions. The agency expects Blue Origin to deliver a lunar surface habitat no earlier than fiscal year 2033.

“Based on current design and development progress for both crew and cargo landers and the Artemis mission schedules for the crew lander versions, NASA assigned a pressurized rover mission for SpaceX and a lunar habitat delivery for Blue Origin,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager, Human Landing System, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “These large cargo lander demonstration missions aim to optimize our NASA and industry technical expertise, resources, and funding as we prepare for the future of deep space exploration.”

Continuing Lander Development and Preparations

SpaceX will continue cargo lander development and prepare for the Starship cargo mission under Option B of the NextSTEP Appendix H contract. Blue Origin will conduct its cargo lander work and demonstration mission under NextSTEP Appendix P. NASA expects to issue an initial request for proposals to both companies in early 2025.

NASA’s Artemis campaign represents a bold step forward in space exploration, aiming to unlock new scientific discoveries and pave the way for future missions to Mars. With plans to explore more of the Moon than ever before, Artemis will develop the technologies and skills needed to live and work beyond Earth. The program is built on a robust foundation, including the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, advanced exploration ground systems, and partnerships with commercial providers for human landing systems. Key innovations like next-generation spacesuits, the Gateway lunar space station, and future lunar rovers will support sustained exploration, establishing the Moon as a proving ground for humanity’s next giant leap to Mars.

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