Jeff Bezos will build NASA's lunar lander

NASA's chief announced on Friday that a team led by Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, has secured a highly sought-after contract from NASA. The contract entails the construction of a spacecraft that will transport astronauts to and from the moon's surface.

NASA's decision to award the contract to Blue Origin means that the agency will now have an additional option for lunar missions as part of its Artemis program. Previously, NASA had granted SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, a contract worth $3 billion in 2021. This agreement aimed to enable astronauts to land on the moon, marking the first human mission to the lunar surface since the final Apollo mission in 1972.

The initial missions utilizing SpaceX's Starship system are planned to take place in the later years of this decade.

According to NASA's exploration chief, Jim Free, the contract with Blue Origin is valued at approximately $3.4 billion. Additionally, John Couluris, the head of Blue Origin's lunar lander program, mentioned that Blue Origin is privately contributing an amount even greater than that figure.

Blue Origin has provided limited information regarding its recent moon lander proposal, primarily mentioning the names of its corporate partners. These partners include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Draper (a spacecraft software firm), and Astrobotic (a robotics firm). Further details about the proposal have not been revealed.