NASA - ARTEMIS Program logo.
Jan. 2, 2021
NASA’s Artemis Program has a bold challenge to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024 – returning Americans to the lunar surface, opening the Moon for business, and building a path to Mars. To achieve these ambitious objectives, NASA released a solicitation for industry to develop the final piece of its Artemis lunar architecture, the Human Landing System (HLS). The National Team integrates four companies each having a head start for this fast-paced program. We are working on a flexible, multi-element, commercial, and sustainable solution for NASA’s HLS effort.
Blue Origin - HLS National Team
The National Team comprises Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper. Together we are developing a Human Landing System for NASA’s Artemis program to return Americans to the lunar surface by 2024. Our team brings decades of experience with human space flight systems, launch vehicles, propulsion, orbital logistics, deep-space missions, interplanetary navigation, and planetary landings. Our combined experience uniquely positions NASA to execute the Artemis program.
Blue Origin-Led HLS National Team's Mission to the Moon
Each partner brings industry-leading solutions matched to the needs of HLS:
- Blue Origin is prime contractor, leading program management, systems engineering, safety and mission assurance, and mission engineering. Blue also develops the Descent Element based on the Blue Moon lunar lander and BE-7 engine, both in development for years.
- Lockheed Martin develops the reusable Ascent Element vehicle and leads crewed flight operations and training, based on Orion.
- Northrop Grumman provides the Transfer Element vehicle that lowers the HLS vehicle from high lunar orbits, based on Cygnus.
- Draper leads descent guidance and provides flight avionics.
The Blue Origin National Team integrated lander vehicle
BLUE ORIGIN - The Descent Element
Blue Origin is providing the Descent Element that is based on the Blue Moon cargo lunar lander and its BE-7 engine, which have been in development for three years. Variants can meet a range of delivery capabilities for both crew and cargo anywhere on the Moon’s surface, including the lunar South Pole. The lander’s autonomy, guidance, vertical landing architecture, powerful and throttleable liquid engines, and lean operations – leveraging technologies developed and in service on New Shepard.
The Descent Element
LOCKHEED MARTIN - Ascent Element
Lockheed Martin is providing the crewed Ascent Element and is leading the crewed flight operations and training. The Ascent Element draws heavily from Lockheed Martin’s experience developing NASA’s Orion spacecraft, from direct build-to-print items to multiple common subsystems.
Ascent Element
NORTHROP GRUMMAN - The Transfer Element
Northrop Grumman Corporation provides the Transfer Element that brings the landing system down toward the Moon, maximizing delivered mass for both crew and cargo. The Transfer Element is based on its Cygnus cargo module, which has flown 13 resupply missions to the International Space Station.
The Transfer Element
DRAPER - Flight Avionics and Descent Guidance
Draper leads descent guidance and flight avionics, leveraging crew-rated algorithms that Draper has demonstrated on previous NASA exploration missions.
Related links:
Blue Origin: https://www.blueorigin.com/
Lockheed Martin: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/
Northrop Grumman: https://www.northropgrumman.com/
Draper: https://www.draper.com/
Images, video, Text, Credits: Blue Origin/Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman/Draper.
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