Huntsville-based Dynetics, a Leidos company, is among five firms selected by NASA for work that will allow “a steady pace of crewed trips to the lunar surface” through the Artemis program.
“These companies will make advancements toward sustainable human landing system concepts, conduct risk-reduction activities, and provide feedback on NASA’s requirements to cultivate industry capabilities for crewed lunar landing missions,” NASA said in announcing the contracts.
Dynetics has the largest contract at $40.8 million. Other firms are Blue Origin, $25.6 million; Lockheed Martin, $35.2 million; Northrop Grumman, $34.8 million; and SpaceX, $9.4 million. All but SpaceX have facilities in Alabama.
“Establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon through recurring services using lunar landers is a major Artemis goal,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at Headquarters in Washington. “This critical step lays the foundation for U.S. leadership in learning more about the Moon and for learning how to live and work in deep space for future missions farther into the solar system.”
The companies will be responsible for design concepts, performance evaluation, construction standards and more.
“Collaboration with our partners is critical to achieving NASA’s long-term Artemis lunar exploration goals,” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, Human Landing System Program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “By partnering with innovative U.S. companies, we will establish a robust lunar economy while exploring new areas of the Moon for generations to come.”
