NASA is refining its appeal to the concepts of the lunar lander

WASHINGTON – NASA has updated a call for proposals for lunar landers to allow for a human mission in 2024, broadening the scope of application to include integrated landing gear concepts.

In a procurement brief published late April 26, NASA has updated an earlier notice issued April 8 announcing its intention to solicit proposals for a stage of ascent from a lunar lander to human side. The future market will seek instead to offer a "complete integrated lander" including an ascent module, as well as a descent module and a transfer step.

An official call for proposals, which is part of NASA's Next Space Technologies program, or NextSTEP, and officially known as Annex H, has not yet been published by the agency. NASA indicated on the NextSTEP website that it planned to launch this solicitation by the end of May and that it would include both studies as well as options for vehicle development.

"NASA will solicit proposals from the US industry for the development, integration, and crewed demonstration of these elements as a functional human landing system that can meet the requirements of NASA and the United States. the industry, "including the landing on the Moon by 2024, the agency said.

Prior to Vice President Mike Pence's announcement on March 26 calling for a human lunar landing in five years, NASA was taking a two-track approach to developing human-grade lunar landing gear. In February, she issued a separate tender for transfer vehicle studies and descent stages, also as part of NextSTEP and designated in Appendix E. At the time NASA had announced that it would keep studies on the rise stage within the agency.

However, NASA changed course after Pence's speech, announcing plans for the work of the climb phase in the April 8 presidential notice. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a speech at the 35th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs that this opinion was finalized within a week. He added that he expects lunar landing systems to be built as public-private partnerships.

The updated plans offer a second chance to people who have not participated in the previous solicitation studies or who have not received a reward. "Annex H Offerors who do not receive an award in Annex E will have the opportunity to propose similar work, insofar as this is necessary for their proposals for the award. Annex H ", NASA said in the revised procurement file.