Key developers of lunar landing modules (HLS) for the NASA Artemis program - SpaceX and Blue Origin - confirmed their readiness to significantly increase the rate of landings on the moon in the coming years. This is due to NASA's plans to maintain a regular presence on the satellite and expand logistics to deliver cargo and crews.
Major players and their plans:
SpaceX (Starship HLS):
The company is developing a version of Starship V3, which will be bigger and more powerful than previous iterations, able to deliver to 150 metric tons of payload.
SpaceX has already invested billions of dollars in expanding production capacity, having over 460 thousands of square meters of integration space and five launch sites in Texas and Florida.
In response to a request from NASA, the company presented an updated plan to speed up landing, despite previous delays.
Blue Origin (Blue Moon):
The company received a contract for $3,4 billion for the development of the landing module for the Artemis V mission 2029 year.
Blue Origin plans to land its Blue Moon Mark cargo vehicle 1 to the Moon already in 2025-2026.
John Coulouris, vice president of the company, declared readiness to ensure a "permanent presence" on the moon, far exceeding NASA's minimum requirements for cargo frequency and volume.
New strategic directions of NASA:
Cargo missions: Both companies have already been commissioned by NASA to develop large payload versions of their modules, able to deliver from 12 to 15 tons of equipment and infrastructure (example, residential modules or rovers).
Regular tempo: The agency is transitioning from single demonstration flights to a model of regular drop-off services, which should stimulate the development of the lunar economy.
Schedule change: Although the first manned landing (Artemis III) officially moved to the middle 2027 year, NASA actively works with contractors to overcome technical challenges, such as refueling in space.
Source: https://spacenews.com