Skip to main content

NASA wants a second lunar lander in addition to SpaceX’s

NASA already has plans for SpaceX to develop a lander to carry astronauts to the moon’s surface for its Artemis missions, but now the agency is searching for another company to develop a second lunar lander. NASA had previously announced it would be open to other lunar lander concepts, and this week it shared an official solicitation inviting proposals.

NASA is looking to award a contract for one uncrewed and one crewed lunar landing, as part of the long-term goal to establish a human presence on the moon. The lander will be required for missions beyond Artemis III, the first crewed mission under the Artemis program, which is scheduled for 2025 at the earliest.

An image of an artist's illustration of an Artemis astronaut stepping from a Moon lander onto the lunar surface.
An image of an artist’s illustration of an Artemis astronaut stepping from a Moon lander onto the lunar surface. NASA

“Work done under this solicitation, in addition to current lander development and studies taking place, will help build the foundation for long-term deep space exploration,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager for the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in a statement. “Partnering with American companies to do that work now allows us to leverage NASA’s knowledge and expertise to encourage technological innovations for a sustained presence at the moon.”

Recommended Videos

The selection of SpaceX for the first lunar lander contract was somewhat controversial, and a proposal from fellow space company Blue Origin was rejected. Blue Origin sued NASA over this contract award and lost the court case, but the case raised debate about whether there was enough competition for NASA contracts. The invitation for a second lunar lander seems to be NASA’s response, with the agency hoping to demonstrate that it is open to whichever space company can provide the best services.

It’s not yet known whether Blue Origin will try to compete for this new contract. As for other companies, two prominent companies which could submit proposals are Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman but neither has officially announced that they will do so. According to SpaceNews, officials from Lockheed and Northrop were “noncommittal” after the announcement that NASA would be open to proposals.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Amazon launches its first internet satellites to rival SpaceX Starlink
Amazon's KA-01 mission for Project Kuiper gets underway from the Space Coast.

Amazon has successfully launched its first satellites for the company’s Project Kuiper internet-from-space service, which will take on SpaceX’s Starlink service.

The satellites launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from  Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7 p.m. ET on Monday.

Read more
SpaceX marks 250th Starlink mission with spectacular photo
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on performing the company's 250th dedicated Starlink mission.

SpaceX has marked its 250th dedicated Starlink launch with a breathtaking photo showing its Falcon 9 rocket heading to orbit.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1916705420112261569

Read more
How to watch NASA’s first all-female spacewalk since 2023
Astronauts during a spacewalk at the ISS on March 23.

NASA is making final preparations for its first spacewalk since January. It’ll also be the first all-female spacewalk since November 2023 and only the fifth in NASA's history.

Astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will be participating in the so-called “extravehicular activity (EVA)” on Thursday, May 1.

Read more