lunar lander
Report outlines science goals of first Artemis human lunar landing mission
A report released by NASA Dec. 7 outlined the science that the first crewed Artemis mission to the lunar surface could accomplish, but also some of the conflicts between science goals and the mission’s technical capabilities.
Blue Origin continues work on BE-7 lunar lander engine
Blue Origin has achieved a new milestone in the development of the engine that will power the lunar lander it seeks to provide for NASA’s Artemis program.
Senate bill offers NASA only a fraction of requested lunar lander funding
A Senate appropriations bill would provide NASA with only a small fraction of the funding it requested for lunar lander development, putting any chance of returning humans to the moon by 2024 in jeopardy.
Japanese lunar lander company ispace opens U.S. office
A Japanese company developing commercial lunar landers has opened an office in the United States in a bid to win more business from NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA weighing lunar lander budget options
NASA is looking at ways to stretch out the budget for its Human Landing System program should there be further delays in a final appropriations bill while still seeking full funding for the program in 2021.
Dynetics to use in-space refueling for NASA lunar lander
The lunar lander under development by Dynetics for NASA’s Artemis program will make use of in-space refueling of cryogenic propellants and require three launches in quick succession, company officials revealed.
SpaceX to launch Masten lunar lander
Masten Space Systems announced Aug. 26 that it signed a contract with SpaceX for the launch of its first lunar lander mission carrying a suite of payloads for NASA.
U.S. military eyes a role in the great power competition for lunar resources
DIU space director Butow: “We have the power where it make sense of leveraging and using public private partnerships to our advantage.”
Blue Origin team delivers lunar lander mockup to NASA
The Blue Origin-led team that is one of three working on lunar lander concepts for NASA’s Artemis program has delivered a full-sized mockup of that lander to the agency for testing by engineers and astronauts.
Japanese lunar lander company ispace raises $28 million
A Japanese company planning a series of lunar lander missions has raised $28 million that will allow it to complete development of its first mission.
Japan’s ispace updates design of lunar lander
Japanese company ispace has updated the design of its commercial lunar lander while delaying its first flight by a year.
NASA advisers skeptical of agency’s ability to meet 2024 lunar landing goal
Members of a NASA advisory committee expressed doubts that the agency can return humans to the moon by 2024 as currently planned, as well as concerns about the approach the agency is using to develop lunar landers.
OHB and IAI plan commercial lunar lander mission in late 2022
German space company OHB is moving ahead with plans to launch a commercial lunar lander mission in cooperation with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in late 2022 as it looks for government and commercial customers.
NASA evaluation sees SpaceX lunar lander as innovative but risky
A NASA evaluation suggests that the agency selected SpaceX for one of the three human lunar lander awards as a high-risk, high-reward option that could provide significant capability but may not be ready in time for a 2024 landing.
NASA selects three companies for human landing system awards
NASA announced April 30 it has selected three companies to begin work on designs for human lunar landers, one of which the agency still hopes will be ready to land humans on the moon by the end of 2024.
