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☆ Exclusive: Bezos' Blue Origin expects split on space station partnership -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A Blue Origin spokesperson said Sierra will remain a partner on Orbital Reef but declined to say in what capacity. Last week, Bezos told Blue Origin employees that longtime Amazon executive Dave Limp would replace Blue Origin's current CEO by year's end. In 2021, Blue Origin announced its partnership to build what it envisions as a "business park in space" with Sierra Space, a spinoff from defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. Blue Origin secured $3.4 billion from NASA this year for that lander as part of the agency's Artemis program. Blue Origin said at the time it planned to privately invest "well north" of that amount.

Persons: Shepard, Jeff Bezos's, Ivan Pierre Aguirre, Jeff Bezos, Sierra, Brent Sherwood, Sherwood, Bezos, Dave Limp, Glenn, Joey Roulette, Ben Klayman, David Gregorio, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sierra Space, NASA, Space, CNBC, Blue Origin, Amazon, year's, Sierra Nevada Corp, Origin, Industry, Sierra, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Van Horn , Texas, U.S

☆ Germany signs U.S.-led space norms pact Artemis Accords
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Germany on Thursday became the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led multilateral agreement meant to establish norms of behavior in space and on the lunar surface. India, which last month became the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the moon, agreed to join the Artemis Accords in June but China and Russia have not. "It's a big deal, because Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe and has been a part of the European space program forever," Nelson told Reuters on Thursday before the signing. Japan, various European countries and other nations with big to small space programs have joined the accords. The European Space Agency (ESA), which represents 22 member states including Germany, is a core NASA partner on Gateway, a planned space station that will orbit the moon as part of the Artemis program.

Persons: Bill Nelson, Walther Pelzer, Nelson, NASA's, Artemis, Mike Gold, Joey Roulette, Will Dunham Organizations: Artemis Accords, NASA, German Space Agency, Reuters, European Space Agency, ESA, Thomson Locations: Germany, U.S, United States, China, India, Russia, Washington, Europe, Japan

☆ Small moonquakes caused by Apollo lunar lander module, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A spacecraft left behind by US astronauts on the lunar surface could be causing small tremors known as moonquakes, according to a new study. The lunar surface is an extreme environment, oscillating between minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius) in the dark and 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) in direct sun, according to a news release about the study. Marusiak was not directly involved in the study, though she did have contact with the authors as a fellow expert in lunar seismology. “Every lunar morning when the sun hits the lander, it starts popping off,” said study coauthor Allen Husker, a research professor of geophysics at Caltech, in a statement. It’s important to note a key difference between the moon and Earth: On the lunar surface, there are no shifting tectonic plates that might cause catastrophic events.

Persons: Francesco Civilini, Artemis, Dr, Angela Marusiak, Marusiak, moonquakes Marusiak, “, —, ”, Allen Husker, I’m, seismometers, ” Marusiak, ” Husker Organizations: CNN, of Geophysical Research, California Institute of Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight, NASA, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, Caltech, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO Locations: California

☆ ‘The Six’: Stories of NASA’s first women astronauts revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But the journalist started wondering about the other women who had trained alongside Ride in NASA’s first coed astronaut class. More than 1,500 women applied to become astronauts between 1976 and 1977, Grush writes. "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts" by Loren Grush is out September 12. NASAWhy these astronauts’ experiences resonate todayWhile Ride was first, ultimately every member of The Six flew on a space shuttle. In her book, Grush chronicles their journeys, including the 1986 Challenger disaster that killed Resnik on her second space shuttle flight.

Persons: Sally Ride, “, crewmates, Loren Grush, ” Grush, —, “ I’m, ”, Grush, Arabella, Anita —, Miss Baker —, Ruth Bates Harris, Simon, Schuster, Judy Resnik, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, Anna Fisher, Rhea Seddon, Seddon, Fisher, Resnik, Sullivan, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, George Abbey, Abbey, Ride, Bob Crippen, Crippen, Sally wasn’t, ” Sullivan, “ NASA’s, Artemis Organizations: CNN, Bloomberg, NASA, Johnson Space Center, Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, ”, The, Challenger Locations: Houston, NASA's, Florida

☆ Opinion: The Deep Space Network is in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Opinion Don Lincoln | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Deep Space Network, or DSN, is an interconnected set of three radio telescope facilities spread across the globe. Indeed, without the DSN, NASA’s robotic exploration of deep space would simply not be possible. On the contrary, if humanity is going to once again venture into deep space, it will be crucial to be able to maintain a radio link with those intrepid explorers. Both of those missions, indeed all deep space programs, depend on reliable communication, or they will fail. The Deep Space Network is NASA’s link to the planets, and it needs additional support if we ever hope to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Persons: Don Lincoln, James Webb, NASA Artemis, Artemis Organizations: Fermi, Accelerator Laboratory, Facebook, CNN, Space, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Telescope, Orion, Twitter, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: California, Spain, Australia

☆ NASA’s mega moon rocket is ‘unaffordable,’ according to accountability report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Senior NASA officials say that the agency’s Space Launch System — the massive rocket designed to propel its ambitious Artemis program to establish a base on the moon — is “unaffordable,” according to a report Thursday from the US Government Accountability Office. The report does not name which officials — or how many — at NASA made such claims. That plan includes efforts to “stabilize the flight schedule,” increase efficiencies, “encourage innovation” and “adjust acquisition strategies to reduce cost risk,” according to GAO. That’s expected to be followed by Artemis III, the first attempt to return American astronauts to the moon since the Apollo program. But while NASA “partially concurred,” the agency “has not yet implemented this recommendation,” the GAO report said.

Persons: Artemis, NASA “, Artemis I, That’s, Artemis III, watchdogs, “ Organizations: CNN —, NASA, Office, SLS, GAO, Government watchdogs

☆ Explainer: Japan's moon landing: When is it and why is it important?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japan aims to launch the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) into space by mid-September with a lunar landing seen starting as early as January 2024. Japan would become the fifth country to achieve a moon landing after the United States, the former USSR, China and now India. The success of India's Chandrayaan-3 moon exploration mission this month contrasts with recent setbacks in Japan's space missions. WHAT IS JAPAN'S LUNAR MISSION? WHY IS JAPAN'S SPACE PROGRAMME IMPORTANT?

Persons: India's, SLIM, Kantaro Komiya, Maki Shiraki, David Dolan, Nick Macfie Organizations: Smart, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Soviet Union, Epsilon, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, USSR, China, India, U.S, Russia

☆ India rolls out its first rover on the lunar surface after historic landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar surface near the moon's south pole on Wednesday. The historic occasion marked the country as a global space power and only the fourth nation to achieve a lunar landing. Chandrayaan-3 has already returned several images and rolled out its Pragyan rover on the lunar surface. Meanwhile, Russia’s Luna 25 lander crashed into the moon, causing experts to question the country’s future lunar ambitions. ConsequencesEmperor penguins rely on sea ice to hatch and raise their chicks, but global warming is diminishing their habitat.

Persons: CNN —, Ray, Russia’s, Bonnie Prince Charlie, “, ”, Barbora Veselá, Apptronik, Sergio Pitamitz, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, International, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Ray Imaging, ISRO India, University of Dundee, Solar Orbiter, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: United States, Russia, Japan, Denmark, United Kingdom, Austin , Texas, Tennessee, Monterey , California

☆ Meet Apollo, the ‘iPhone’ of humanoid robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The design for Apptronik’s latest humanoid robot, named Apollo, was unveiled on Wednesday. Apollo is Apptronik's latest humanoid robot. Rather than highly specialized robots that can only serve one purpose, Apptronik wanted Apollo to be the “iPhone of robots,” Cardenas said. Courtesy ApptronikBefore Apollo, Apptronik focused on what it called a Quick Development humanoid robot. To the moon and beyondApptronik serves as one of NASA’s partners that works on humanoid robot designs.

Persons: Argodesign, Apollo, “, ”, Jeff Cardenas, Bill Stafford, ” Cardenas, Shaun Azimi, NASA’s, Cardenas, Apptronik, Nick Paine, ” Paine, Paine, ” Azimi, Artemis VI, Azimi Organizations: Austin , Texas CNN, Austin, University of Texas, NASA, JSC, DARPA, Space Center, International Locations: Austin , Texas, Houston, Australia, uncrewed, Apptronik

India's Chandrayaan-3 is heading for a landing on the lunar south pole on Wednesday. NASA, by comparison, is on track to spend roughly $93 billion on its Artemis moon programme through 2025, the U.S. space agency's inspector general has estimated. Russia had been considering a role in NASA’s Artemis programme until 2021, when it said it would partner instead on China's moon programme. Space research firm Euroconsult estimates China spent $12 billion on its space programme in 2022. India’s last attempt to land failed in 2019, the same year an Israeli startup failed at what would have been the first privately funded moon landing.

Persons: India's, Russia's Luna, Narendra Modi, Ajey Lele, Luna, Vadim Lukashevich, NASA'S, Elon Musk’s, Musk, Jeff Bezos, ”, Bethany Ehlmann, Kevin Krolicki, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, NASA, New, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, International Space, California Institute of Technology, Thomson Locations: Handout, BENGALURU, WASHINGTON, India, United States, Soviet Union, U.S, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, China, Saudi, South Korean

☆ Luna 25 crash and Chandrayaan-3 landing attempt may signal another shift in the space race, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The failed landing attempt has experts questioning the future of the country’s lunar exploration ambitions and the geopolitical dynamics that underpin modern space exploration efforts. The spacecraft, Luna 25, lost contact with operators at Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, on Saturday, August 19. Luna 25 was flying alongside India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which will attempt to land on the moon as soon as Wednesday. “I’m sure China must be really wondering what they saddled themselves with” after the Luna 25 mission, Samson said. Why missions like Luna 25 matterThe Luna 25 spacecraft was intended to land on the moon’s south pole.

Persons: CNN —, Roscosmos, Yury Borisov, ”, Victoria Samson, Borisov, Russia's Luna, Luna, Robert Pearson, Duke University’s, Pearson, “, haven’t, India’s Chandrayaan, Artemis III, ” Samson, “ It’s, it’s, India’s, Samson, ’ ”, Angela Marusiak, hasn’t, ” Pearson Organizations: CNN, Secure World Foundation, Soviet, Roscosmos, Space Corporation, Luna, U.S . Foreign Service, Diplomacy, European Space Agency, Lunar Research, US, NASA, SpaceX, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory Locations: Russian, Russia, Washington, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Turkey, United States, Europe, Russia’s, China, India, Artemis

☆ Fresh look at Ötzi the Iceman reveals his true appearance and other surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Viking arrows, an Iron Age tunic and prehistoric wooden skis are some of the artifacts recovered from melting ice patches. This week, learn more about Ötzi the Iceman, a scientific celebrity. A long time agoA 2016 reconstruction of Ötzi the Iceman is shown on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology/OchsenreiterHikers found the mummified body of Ötzi in a gully high in the Italian Alps in 1991. Now, a new analysis of DNA extracted from Ötzi’s pelvis has revealed fresh details, including his true appearance — and it’s not what scientists first thought.

Persons: Edgar Lehr, Harrison Ford, —, Lehr, Ford, Indiana Jones, Samuel Peralta, Cornelia Sattler, NASA’s James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, NASA, Illinois Wesleyan University, BMC, National Museum Wales, NASA’s James Webb Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: Bolzano, Italy, Tyrol, Italian, deadwood, New York, Alabama

☆ Many Americans think NASA returning to the moon is a waste of time and it should prioritize asteroid hunting instead, a poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Mariel Borowitz | Teasel Muir-Harmony | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A new report from the Pew Research Center shows most Americans support NASA but not a moon mission. But the specific priorities of the US space program have often been at odds with public opinion. Although somewhat at odds with the national space agenda, this valuation is not new. In addition, the United Nations' open-ended working group on reducing space threats has been meeting since 2022 to help avoid conflict in space. Countries have been working within the United Nations to develop and implement guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.

Persons: LOREN ELLIOTT, Johns Hopkins, Jon Emmerich, Elon Musk, Ryan Saunders, Codie Trimble Organizations: Pew Research Center, NASA, Service, Getty Images, Artemis, Pew, SpaceX, AP, Virgin Galactic, . Air Force, 625th Strategic Communications Squadron, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, US Air Force, Staff, ViaSat, United Nations, Space Agency Space Locations: Wall, Silicon, United States, AFP, States, Europe, Japan, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine War, Ukrainian, Ukraine, United

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor (7203.T) plans to use regenerative fuel cell technology to power a manned lunar rover, executives said on Friday, raising the prospect of eventually using the moon's water ice as an energy source in the future. It is participating in NASA's Artemis programme and plans to have an astronaut at a lunar space station called Gateway as part of that in the latter half of the 2020's. Toyota has teamed up with Japan's space agency since 2019 to develop the manned lunar rover - which it dubbed the Lunar Cruiser - that they hope can be put on the moon in 2029. NASA expects Japan to provide a lunar rover with a 2029 target launch date as a contribution to the Artemis programme, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said in presentation materials on Friday. A fuel cell vehicle uses an electric motor like an electric vehicle but draws power from a fuel stack where hydrogen is separated by a catalyst to produce electricity.

Persons: Fumio, Ken Yamashita, Artemis, there's, Yamashita, Daniel Leussink, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Toyota, Cruiser, NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ Why NASA's Artemis program is the only moon-return mission since Apollo to survive 2 successive US presidents and our best chance of actually returning humans to the lunar surface
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Mariel Borowitz | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Artemis program marks the first time since the Apollo program that an effort to send humans to the moon has been supported by two successive US presidents. Some, like Japan-based iSpace and US-based Astrobotic, are developing commercial lunar landers and have plans to eventually collect lunar resources, such as water or minerals. Just as the United States is leveraging commercial developments, the US is working with international partners, as well. The United States is also seeking international support for the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for responsible lunar exploration and development. It's worth noting that China's lunar program also emphasizes international engagement.

Persons: it's, Artemis, Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Wang Yaping, Gene Kim, Bill Nelson Organizations: Service, NASA, European Space Agency, SpaceX, Companies, Canadian Space Agency, United Nations, US Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Oracle, Military, Artemis Accords, United, United Arab Emirates, Lunar Research Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Japan, United States, Soviet, Europe, Canada, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Nigeria, United Arab, India, Russia, Sweden, France, Italy, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates

☆ Scientists are growing seeds in space to help adapt to climate change on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of changing climate conditions and although changes to temperature, rainfall patterns, and frost might extend a growing season or enable the cultivation of different crops, climate change also introduces major challenges for farming. Shoba Sivasankar examines sorghum seeds that spent around five months at the International Space Station . K. Laffan/IAEABy selectively breeding plants grown from the mutated seeds, Sivasankar and her team hope to create new crop strains. The private sector has also taken an interest in the impact of spaceflight on plant seeds. StarLab Oasis plans to grow seeds on external docking platforms at space stations, shown here in a rendering Nanoracks/Starlab OasisSending seeds to space will help “sustainability, climate change, and food security on Earth,” StarLab Oasis’ co-founder Allen Herbert told CNN in 2022.

Persons: Shoba Sivasankar, ”, “, StarLab, Allen Herbert Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Agriculture Organization, FAO, International Space, of, Food, Agriculture, Space, Michigan State University, MSU, United Arab Emirates, StarLab Oasis, Oasis Locations: China, Abu Dhabi

☆ Astronauts’ brains take a hit during long spaceflights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Spaceflights lasting six months or longer take a toll on the brains of astronauts, and crew members may need to wait at least three years before returning to space, according to new research. Scientists compared the brain scans of 30 astronauts taken before spaceflights lasting two weeks, six months or a year with scans taken after they returned to Earth. During the analysis, the researchers determined that the degree to which the ventricles enlarged varied depending on how long the astronauts were in space. Seven of the astronauts with a shorter period of recovery between missions showed little ventricular enlargement after their most recent flight. However, astronauts have very specialized skill sets and training and there may be rationale to include them on additional missions before this time.”

Persons: CNN —, Artemis, ”, Rachael Seidler, Seidler, ” Seidler Organizations: CNN, International, Station, NASA, University of Florida, UF, Norman Fixel Institute, Neurological Diseases, “ Locations: ”

Companies Boeing Co FollowJune 7 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) was sued on Wednesday by a Colorado company that accused the aerospace giant of stealing trade secrets for NASA's Space Launch System rocket, and then building components with "critical" safety flaws that could endanger astronauts. "Boeing has captured billions of dollars in revenue because of the infringement of Wilson's trade secrets," and must turn over "all revenues and profits Boeing has obtained as a result," the complaint said. Wilson also said Boeing stole trade secrets related to bolt installation tools for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Boeing has described NASA's Space Launch System as the most powerful rocket ever built, and "the backbone for a permanent human presence in deep space." The case is Wilson Aerospace LLC v Boeing Co, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No.

Persons: Wilson, David Wilson, Jonathan Stempel, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Boeing Co, Boeing, Wilson Aerospace, NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Western District of Washington, Thomson Locations: Colorado, Seattle, Arlington , Virginia, Fort Collins , Colorado, Western District, New York

☆ Analysis: Boeing, Northrop face obstacles in commercializing flagship US rocket
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with its Orion crew capsule perched on top, is shown on its launch pad as it is prepared for launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. November 12, 2022. NASA's SLS vision has its skeptics. NASA currently manages SLS production, with Boeing and Northrop its top contractors, each having contracts under which the space agency bears any delay costs. Boeing and Northrop executives have declined to discuss plans for cutting SLS costs under the proposed commercial contract. Boeing has said the SLS program has created 28,000 jobs.

Persons: Joe Skipper, Colonel Douglas Pentecost, Glenn, Jeff Bezos's, Cristina, Jim Free, Artemis, Amit Kshatriya, Kshatriya, Joey Roulette, Will Dunham, Ben Klayman Organizations: Orion, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Pentagon, Northrup, U.S . Department of Defense, DoD, U.S, military's Space Force, NASA, SLS, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Office, U.S . Congress, Northrop, Artemis, Space, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida, U.S, Florida

☆ China says it will send astronauts to the moon by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese officials said the country would land astronauts on the moon by 2030. China has mentioned the prospect of a lunar mission by 2030 but never confirmed it in an official capacity, The New York Times reported. An official confirmed the plans at a news conference for an upcoming flight transporting astronauts to China's space station. China has beefed up its space program in recent years, completing a space station late last year and subsequently sending astronauts to it. A 2022 Pentagon report warned that China could surpass the US' capabilities in space in the long term.

☆ Japan’s Ispace reveals why its lunar lander crashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“While the lander estimated its own altitude to be zero, or on the lunar surface, it was later determined to be at an altitude of approximately 5 kms (3.1 miles) above the lunar surface,” according to Ispace’s news release. The company received valuable data to fine-tune its lunar lander design for another attempt, Hakamada said. The lunar lander was carrying the Rashid rover — the first Arab-built lunar spacecraft, which was developed by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Even before the failed landing attempt, Ispace had been bracing for mishaps. That same year, the Indian Space and Research Organisation lost contact with a lunar lander shortly before it was slated to touch down on the moon.

☆ Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin wins NASA contract to build astronaut lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Founder, Chairman, CEO and President of Amazon Jeff Bezos unveils his space company Blue Origin's space exploration lunar lander rocket called Blue Moon during an unveiling event in Washington,... Read moreWASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - A team led by Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin won a coveted NASA contract to build a spacecraft to send astronauts to and from the moon's surface, NASA's chief announced on Friday, capping a high-stakes contest. NASA's decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX $3 billion in 2021 to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972. Those initial missions using SpaceX's Starship system are slated for later this decade. Reporting by Joey Roulette, editing by Ben Klayman and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bezos' Blue Origin wins NASA astronaut moon lander contract to compete with SpaceX’s Starship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos has his NASA moon ticket. The billionaire's space company Blue Origin won a key contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Friday to develop a crewed lunar lander for delivering astronauts to the moon's surface later this decade under the agency's Artemis program. NASA's contract award is worth just over $3.4 billion, officials said Friday, while Blue Origin Vice President John Couluris said the company will contribute "well north" of the contract's value as well. "We're making an additional investment in the infrastructure that will pave the way to land the first humans on Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in announcing the Blue Origin award. Bezos said in a tweet Friday he's "honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon — this time to stay."

☆ NASA Picks Blue Origin-Led Group to Build Moon Lander for Artemis V Mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the second try, Jeff Bezos and his rocket company have won a contract to take NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon. NASA announced on Friday that it had awarded a contract to Mr. Bezos’ company, Blue Origin, to provide a lunar lander for a moon mission that is currently scheduled to launch in 2029. The mission, Artemis V, is another key piece of NASA’s Artemis program, which is to send astronauts back to the moon as part of an effort to explore the south pole region. The winning of the contract could start a promising rebound year for Blue Origin after a number of delays and setbacks. Blue Origin has identified the cause and hopes to resume New Shepard flights involving both space tourists and scientific cargo later this year.

☆ Bezos' Blue Origin wins NASA contract to build astronaut lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Blue Origin contract is valued roughly $3.4 billion, NASA's exploration chief Jim Free said, with Blue Origin privately contributing "well north" of that amount, Blue Origin's lunar lander head John Couluris said. Blue Origin plans to build its 52-foot (16-meter) tall Blue Moon lander in a partnership with Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), Boeing(BA.N), spacecraft software firm Draper, and robotics firm Astrobotic. Friday's announcement in Washington was a long-awaited outcome for Blue Origin, which had unsuccessfully had competed for past contracts. After losing in 2021, Blue Origin unsuccessfully fought to overturn NASA's decision to ignore its Blue Moon lander, first with a watchdog agency and then in court. Blue Origin and lawmakers had pressured NASA to award a second lunar lander contract to promote commercial competition and ensure the agency has a backup ride to the moon.

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