NASA has awarded $45.5 million to a range of U.S. companies in its efforts to get back onto the Moon
“To accelerate our return to the Moon, we are challenging our traditional ways of doing business. We will streamline everything from procurement to partnerships to hardware development and even operations,” said Marshall Smith, director for human lunar exploration programs at NASA Headquarters,In this July 20, 1969 file photo, astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. walks on the surface of the moon.
Over the next six months, the private space firms chosen will use their millions to study or develop prototypes that will support NASA’s Gateway space station plan. The idea is that Gateway will be an orbiting platform for missions down to the surface. So the agency needs ideas on how the astronauts get off the station and into low lunar orbit, how they descend to and land on the surface and ascend back up again and how to refuel any craft used so they can be reused.
“We’re taking major steps to begin development as quickly as possible, including invoking a NextSTEP option that allows our partners to begin work while we’re still negotiating,” said Greg Chavers, human landing system formulation manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA photos show crash site of Israel's Beresheet moon landerNASA released a series of photos showing the crash site of Israel’s Beresheet moon lander, which smashed into the lunar surface April 11 after a malfunction caused its descent engine to shut down prematurely. - NBCNewsMACH
Read more »
NASA chooses SpaceX, Blue Origin and 9 other firms for moon-lander researchNASA said Thursday that it selected 11 companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, to either conduct studies or build prototypes of lunar landers.
Read more »
Trump seeks extra $1.6 billion in NASA spending to return to moon by 2024Trump seeks extra $1.6 billion in NASA spending to return to moon by 2024 by joroulette
Read more »
NASA To Put Woman On Moon By 2024; Commercial Space Will Play Major RoleNASA finally seems serious about a crewed lunar return; this time with the first female astronaut to walk on the Moon’s surface.
Read more »
NASA head calls budget boost 'good start' for sending astronauts back to the moonNASA’s chief says that the Trump administration’s proposed $1.6 billion budget boost is a “good start” for getting astronauts back on the moon within five years. - NBCNewsMACH
Read more »
The moon is shrinking and shaking, Nasa saysThe Moon is shrinking – and shaking as it does, according to new Nasa data.Over the last decade, scientists have established that as the inside of the Moon cooled, it shrivelled up a like a raisin. That left it riven with cliffs called 'thrust faults', marked all over its surface.Now a new
Read more »
President Trump Wants $1.6 Billion For NASA To Send Astronauts To The Moon By 2024'That is a very small down payment for what they are proposing to do,' said one space expert.
Read more »
NASA plans to land the first American woman on the moon by 2024NASA is planning on sending the first American woman and the next American man to the moon by 2024 thanks to an additional increase to their budget by President Trump.
Read more »
NASA plans to land the first woman on the moon by 2024NASA is planning on sending the first American woman and the next American man to the moon by 2024 thanks to an additional increase to their budget by President Trump.
Read more »