NASA picks Blue Origin to build the Artemis V Moon landing system<p>NASA has picked the company that will handle the third crewed Artemis Moon landing. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-blue-origin-as-second-artemis-lunar-lander-provider">will build[/url] the landing system for Artemis V, which is currently set to launch in September 2029. While they didn't mention the choice of vehicle, the company is already working on a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/2019-05-09-blue-origin-blue-moon-lunar-lander.html">Blue Moon[/url] lander. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Draper are among those involved in the NASA project. The NASA award is worth $3.4 billion, and Blue Origin said in the announcement event that it's contributing "well north" of that figure on its own.</p><p>An Orion capsule flight will take four astronauts to the Moon, where two of the crew members will use a Blue Origin lander docked to the Gateway space station to touch down at the lunar south pole. They'll spend a week conducting moonwalks, rover operations and science experiments while the other astronauts expand and take care of the Gateway.</p><span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>NASA has already chosen SpaceX's Starship for <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/spacex-nasa-artemis-lunar-lander-contract-report-184448656.html">the first[/url] (Artemis III) and <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-picks-spacex-artemis-4-102537076.html">second[/url] (Artemis IV) human landings. The agency said it would accept <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-new-artemis-lunar-lander-proposals-120519399.html">proposals for a second lander[/url] last year to both provide a backup and foster competition. Blue Origin <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/blue-origin-nasa-lunar-lander-moon-artemis-172023096.html">made its bid[/url] for another lunar contract last December. The company objected to SpaceX's win and sued NASA for allegedly ignoring safety concerns when awarding the contract, but a federal court <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/blue-origin-loses-nasa-lawsuit-over-spacex-151101253.html">dismissed the claims[/url].</p><p>The decision is a coup for Blue Origin. While it already has a NASA contract for a <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-blue-origin-new-glenn-escapade-science-mission-mars-110049165.html">Mars science mission[/url] and financial support for its <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-backs-blue-origins-orbital-reef-space-station-220247282.html">Orbital Reef space station[/url], it hasn't had success scoring a crewed trip to the Moon. This also highlights NASA's increasing reliance on privately developed technology for its missions beyond Earth orbit, such as <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/this-is-the-spacesuit-nasas-artemis-astronauts-will-wear-on-the-moon-144528407.html">Axiom Space's Artemis suits[/url]. Like it or not, public-private alliances like these will define American space exploration for a while.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-picks-blue-origin-to-build-the-artemis-v-moon-landing-system-145503244.html?src=rssSource:
NASA picks Blue Origin to build the Artemis V Moon landing system
