Today, NASA announced it has selected 12 U.S. commercial companies for 19 partnerships in its crewed Moon to Mars efforts, which kicks off with a planned 2024 Artemis program crewed return to the lunar surface, Forbes reports.
The selections entail six key areas for future development as well as a category for other exploration technologies. They are: advanced communications, navigation and avionics; entry, descent and landing; in-space manufacturing and assembly; advanced materials; power; and propulsion.
“We’ve identified technology areas NASA needs for future missions, and these public-private partnerships will accelerate their development so we can implement them faster,” Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA’s space technology mission directorate, said in a statement.
The selected companies include:
Elon Musk’s SpaceX which NASA says will work with the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to advance technology to vertically land large rockets on the Moon; including advancing models to assess engine plume interaction with lunar regolith. SpaceX will also work with NASA on advancing tech needed to transfer propellant in orbit, which the space agency says is an important step in the development of the company’s Starship space vehicle.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will collaborate with NASA on advanced navigation and guidance systems to enable safe, precise landings on the Moon, says the agency. And NASA says the company will also partner with them on advancing a fuel cell power system for the company’s Blue Moon lander. The system, says NASA, could provide uninterrupted power during the lunar night, which lasts for about two weeks in most locations.
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