Skip to main content

SpaceX will develop the lander to carry NASA astronauts to the moon

Illustration of SpaceX Starship human lander design that will carry the first NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon under the Artemis program.
Illustration of SpaceX Starship human lander design that will carry the first NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon under the Artemis program. SpaceX

NASA has announced more of its plans for the Artemis mission, which aims to take humans back to the moon. The astronauts will be launched using the agency’s Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket it has ever developed, with the astronauts traveling in an Orion spacecraft.

But once they have traveled from Earth and arrived at the moon, a journey which will take several days, they will need a way to get from orbit to the moon’s surface. That’s where NASA is contracting out its requirements to industry. It has selected SpaceX to develop the lander to take humans to the surface, called the human landing system (HLS), in a contract worth $2.89 billion.

“With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space exploration,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate, in a statement. “This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.”

There are some details about what the SpaceX HLS will involve, including the fact it will use SpaceX Raptor engines, similar to those used in the company’s Falcon 9 rockets. It will have a cabin for the crew, with two airlocks so the astronauts can access the lunar surface.

“This is an exciting time for NASA and especially the Artemis team,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager for HLS at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “During the Apollo program, we proved that it is possible to do the seemingly impossible: Land humans on the moon. By taking a collaborative approach in working with industry while leveraging NASA’s proven technical expertise and capabilities, we will return American astronauts to the moon’s surface once again, this time to explore new areas for longer periods of time.”

Editors' Recommendations

Georgina Torbet
Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…
SpaceX Crew-6 splash down after 6 months in orbit
spacex crew 6 splash down after six months in orbit return

Four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule have splashed down off the coast of Florida after undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) 17 hours earlier.

NASA live streamed the key moments of the homecoming, including the undocking and the final moments before splashdown at about 12:20 a.m. ET on Monday morning. Footage from both events can be viewed below, with the first clip showing the Crew Dragon's Draco engines firing as the vehicle moves away from the station:

Read more
The space station will become a little less crowded on Saturday
The International Space Station.

SpaceX’s four Crew-6 astronauts are expected to depart the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday after four months living and working on the orbital laboratory.

Heading home aboard a Crew Dragon capsule will be NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Read more
Watch the highlights of SpaceX’s Crew-7 arrival at the ISS
nasa announces breakthrough in search for iss air leak space station

Following a perfect launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early on Saturday, SpaceX’s four Crew-7 astronauts arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS) the following day.

NASA live-streamed the Crew Dragon spacecraft approaching the ISS before docking, and also shared footage of the crew’s arrival aboard the station. The spacecraft’s hatch was opened at 10:58 a.m. ET (7:58 a.m. PT) on Sunday, shortly after the ISS crew opened the hatch between the space station and the pressurized mating adapter, NASA reported.

Read more