NASA selects five companies for lunar lander studies - SpaceNews

DALLAS — NASA will provide $146 million to five companies, representing the three teams that previously competed to develop the Artemis lunar lander, to perform studies for future lunar lander concepts.

NASA issued a request for proposals for NextSTEP Appendix N in July to support work on what NASA calls “sustainable” human landing system concepts intended to support missions after Artemis 3, the first crewed lunar landing mission of the Artremis program.

The Blue Origin-led team was one of three bidders for the Human Landing System (HLS) program, where NASA funds development of a lunar lander and a demonstration mission.

Both Blue Origin’s National Team and Dynetics lost to SpaceX, which won a $2.9 billion award in April for a lunar lander based on its Starship vehicle.

In its statement, NASA said the funding would support concept studies and risk-reduction activities, and give the companies the opportunity to offer feedback on NASA’s requirements for crewed human landing services.

Appendix N is intended to be a bridge for NASA’s Lunar Exploration Transportation Services (LETS) program, where NASA will buy crewed lunar landing services for later Artemis missions, much as it does commercial crew and cargo services for the International Space Station.