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| NASA chooses SpaceX to build a lunar probe |
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen SpaceX to raise $ 2.9 billion to build the lunar probe, the moon lander, as part of Artemis' mission to send people to the moon by 2024.
The contract between NASA and SpaceX is expected to be signed on May 1. The contract fully demonstrates NASA's confidence in the company as no other company has received any payments.
The four astronauts were launched aboard the Orion spacecraft via NASA's Space Launch System, then the two astronauts traveled to the SpaceX lunar probe, spent about a week exploring the surface of the Moon, and then returned to Orion.
Before anyone can enter the space capsule, SpaceX must perform the unmanned lunar probe flight.
The project had three main competitors, but SpaceX outperformed Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin in working with other select airlines.
The National Space Agency has already provided the three major competitors with a total of 967 million US dollars to develop the "moon lander" concept.
Before the NASA announcement, the Washington Post initially reported that SpaceX had won the contract.
In an internal letter to NASA employees, the person in charge of the human probe selection project said he was very disappointed that information had leaked prior to the accident.
From the Apollo program, NASA is expected to select two companies to award the contract for the first lunar mission, and awarding the contract to SpaceX is a smack of Blue Origin in the face.
The SpaceX show is the next generation of "interplanetary" spacecraft the company is building in Texas that is expected to carry astronauts and 100 tons of cargo.
The interstellar spacecraft is expected to land with its main engine on a solid surface such as the moon or Mars.
SpaceX managed to land once on March 3, although it exploded almost immediately after that.
The human landing system enables NASA to reach different parts of the moon's surface.
While trying to discover the following technologies to help her landing on Mars or other planets, she was also able to search for new techniques and skills that would help her.
"Every single activity, every single experiment, every single operation leads to the @NASAArtemis and Gateway program."@Aki_Hoshide of @JAXA_en reflects on how the lessons learned during the Crew-2 mission will pave the way to the Moon with the #Artemis program: pic.twitter.com/WCUq0xZ8wJ
— NASA (@NASA) April 17, 2021