SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics awarded contracts for NASA moon lander

ARS Technica reports NASA awarded lunar lander contracts to Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX. Boeing did not manage to become part of the mix. The goal here is to develop landing equipment that can take astronauts down to the surface of the Moon in 2024.

Here are the brief details of the contracts, which cover a 10-months period. If you're wondering why there's such a large difference between the amount awarded to each company, it's because it's based on the amount requested by each of the three companies and the scope of work they plan to complete over the next 10 months.

$579 million to the Blue Origin-led "National Team." Blue Origin will serve as the prime contractor, building the Blue Moon lunar lander as the "descent element" of the system, along with program management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin will develop a reusable "ascent element" and lead crewed flight operations. Northrop Grumman will build the "transfer element," and Draper will lead descent guidance and provide flight avionics. It will launch on a New Glenn rocket.

$253 million to a Dynetics-led team. The company's proposal for a lunar lander is non-traditional and includes Sierra Nevada Corporation as a major partner. The ALPACA lander has a pair of drop tanks that are launched separately, which allow the main lander to be reused. These tanks are depleted and then jettisoned during descent. ALPACA could be launched on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket.

$135 million to SpaceX. The company bid its Super Heavy rocket and Starship to carry humans to the Moon. The benefit of Starship is that if the vehicle is successful, it would offer NASA a low-cost, reusable solution for its needs.

NASA indicates that ten months from now, they may or may not remove one option from the list.

Below is an artist's impression of SpaceX's Starship landing on the Moon.