The US plans to solicit new designs for vehicles that can ferry astronauts to and from the Moon, launching fresh competition to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Nasa plans to release a draft request for proposals by the end of March for Moon lander concepts for missions after the Artemis III programme, which aims to bring astronauts to the Moon in 2025, the agency announced on Wednesday.
The initial lunar landings for Artemis will be supported by SpaceX.
Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson declined to disclose how much the agency may spend on the new effort. He said details would be included in US President Joe Biden’s budget proposal next week.
Additional competition could open the door for an award to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. The space company, backed by the billionaire founder of Amazon, disputed Nasa's decision to award its initial lander deal to SpaceX in April 2021.
SpaceX was also asked to propose a lander for continued missions beyond Artemis III under its existing Nasa contract, the agency said.
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Mural displaying Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark Bezos, in Van Horn, Texas, where Blue Origin rocket launches take place. Reuters -
Though Texas has mountain ranges throughout the state, the 10 freeway and roads in and out of Van Horn are known for its wide expanses, perfect for launching rockets. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Blue Origin's founder Jeff Bezos visited Van Horn, Texas many times before deciding it was the perfect place to launch his rockets. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launch outside of Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launch outside of Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's founder Jeff Bezos celebrates his first successful landing in the desert outside of Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket landing on the desert terrain outside of Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Members on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket experience the true effects of weightlessness before landing outside Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's New Shepard team members pose after touching down in the desert outside of Van Horn, Texas. Photo: Blue Origin -
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches carrying passengers Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and space tourism company Blue Origin, brother Mark Bezos, Oliver Daemen and Wally Funk, from its spaceport near Van Horn, Texas on July 20, 2021. AP -
William Shatner, center, speaks as Audrey Powers, left, and Chris Boshuizen appear during a press opportunity at the Blue Origin spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, on October 13, 2021. The "Star Trek" actor and the three fellow passengers soared to an altitude of 107 kilometres over the West Texas desert near Van Horn in a fully automated capsule, in a flight that lasted just over 10 minutes. AP -
Parachutes carrying Blue Origin's capsule with passengers William Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries going down to the spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, last October. AP -
"Good Morning America" host and former NFL star Michael Strahan laughs with Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, during a media availability on the landing pad after they flew into space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard on December 11, 2021 near Van Horn, Texas. Getty Images / AFP -
Onlookers watch as Blue Origin’s New Shepard flies toward space carrying "Good Morning America" host Michael Strahan, Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, and four other civilians on December 11, 2021 near Van Horn, Texas. Getty Images / AFP -
This framegrab obtained from Blue Origin, shows the December team landing in West Texas near Van Horn. AFP PHOTO / Blue Origin -
A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket returns to Earth at the company's West Texas headquarters near Van Horn. The Guadalupe Mountain Range can be seen in the foreground. AFP -
Spectators are now flocking to Van Horn, Texas to watch Blue Origin's rocket launches. Reuters -
A sign at the entrance to space company Blue Origin. Reuters -
El Capitan is the southern-most point of the Guadalupe Mountains. At 2,464 metres above sea level, El Capitan is the eighth highest peak in Texas and about an hour north from Van Horn, Texas. Photo by Laurence Parent -
The Hotel El Capitan is a historic hotel located in the center of downtown Van Horn, Texas and the jewel of the small town. Photo: Texas Historical Commission -
Located at the crossroads of the Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe and Big Bend National Parks, Hotel El Capitan was built in 1930. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Travellers visiting the Guadalupe Mountain National Park often stop in Van Horn, Texas for a respite at the historic El Capitan Hotel. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Architect Henry Charles Trost designed buildings all across Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. This is the Hotel El Capitan interior garden. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Hotel El Capitan lobby. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Hotel El Capitan hallway. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Some of the rooms at the Hotel El Capitan overlook the courtyard. Hotel El Capitan -
Your four-legged friends are welcome at the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, Texas. Holly Aguirre / The National -
The entrance to the historic Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, Texas. Holly Aguirre / The National -
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An aerial view shows the logo of the Van Horn Eagles football team on a water tower in Van Horn, Texas where- Blue Origin held several rocket launches last year. AFP -
Cody Colchado and Lupe Colchado eat lunch at the Chuy's Mexican restaurant before Jeff Bezos’ scheduled launch in his Blue Origin rocket from a launchpad in West Texas on July 19, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Getty Images / AFP -
Hikers visiting the Guadalupe Mountains National Park often take a rest in the shady Grotto, which provides a picturesque setting for a picnic and a rest while hiking in McKittrick Canyon. Photo by National Parks Service -
The Ship on the Desert is an early example of 20th-century modernism, distinct for West Texas and sits at the base of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, an hour north of Van Horn, Texas. Photo by National Parks Service -
Van Horn, Texas is the last stop before the turnoff to Marfa, a tiny artist town put on the map after James Dean starred in "Giant", which was filmed there in 1956. Holly Aguirre / The National -
Longfellow Ranch is a working cattle ranch and includes the Pinon gas field which offers five-star room and dining facilities for corporate events and guests. Photo: RanchWork -
Jeff Bezos bought Longfellow Ranch in 2005, according to NBC News, which is the same time the billionaire bought 66.773 hectares in West Texas. Photo: RanchWork -
NBC News reported that Jeff Bezos bought the Longfellow Ranch in 2005, which was the same year he bought 66,773 hectares in same area. Photo: RanchWork -
The Blue Origin launch site and facility are located near Van Horn in West Texas. Photo: Blue Origin
Blue Origin said it is ready to compete for the project.
The company is “thrilled that Nasa is creating competition by procuring a second human lunar landing system. By doing so, Nasa will establish the critical redundancy and robustness needed for establishing permanent US lunar presence”, a representative said in an emailed statement.
SpaceX didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on Nasa’s plans. The agency’s decision to seek additional design proposals comes after several influential US members of Congress last year said that the agency needs a second company to land astronauts on the Moon.
Nasa is seeking additional design concepts as part of a plan to have a series of Moon landings following Artemis III.
The space agency is on schedule for a Moon landing without a crew in 2024 and then with a crew the following year, Mr Nelson said. The agency envisions about one landing per year over the next decade after that initial crew’s voyage, he said.
