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NASA is officially looking for ideas from private companies to develop future lunar technologies, with responses expected by the end of next month.
In addition, the agency has released its methodology to bring crew missions back to the lunar surface.
The moon has had a big 2019 up to now: The mission of the LG Chang-e-4 in China made the first soft landing on the other side of the moon in early January. Millions of people in North and South America then witnessed a fascinating lunar eclipse, dubbed the Super Blood Wolf MoonJanuary 21st. This year, NASA also commemorates a milestone of the lunar era: the agency will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo Mission 11 This brought astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the Moon to make this incredible "leap forward for humanity". (Collins stayed in lunar orbit.)[[[[Watch a meteor hit the moon of blood in this video of the lunar eclipse!]
In one statement issued on February 7NASA explained how it would work with US companies to develop reusable systems that allow astronauts to return to the moon by 2028.
With the help of current and planned technologies, NASA will employ to carry out the mandate defined by the presidential administration. Space Policy Directive 1 "as quickly as possible," officials said.
The partnerships would be multi-phased and might include collaboration with other countries to "advance our missions to more distant destinations, such as Mars, with America in the lead," said the director. NASA, Jim Bridenstine.
The technology already in use in low Earth orbit will serve as a springboard for the development of reusable lunar systems, said Bridenstine.
An important element of NASA's approach is the establishment of a bridge capable of supporting lunar trips back and forth. This would allow "the first blocks for fully reusable lunar landers … to be refueled by cargo ships carrying fuel from the Earth to the gateway," officials said. ;agency.
But that would only be the beginning. In the future, the fuel could come from the moon itself. Part of the project is to find methods for making rocket propellant with water ice and regolith (moon dust) from the moon, according to a process called in-situ resource use (ISRU) .
The official request for proposals that NASA published on February 7 is part of Annex E of the second large agency announcement called Next Next Technologies (Space Technologies for Exploration) (NextSTEP-2). In this application, NASA aims to fund in-flight demonstrations of lunar landers made for astronauts by private companies that would conduct critical research and support risk-reduction activities. March 25 is the deadline for responses.
Follow Doris Elin Salazar on Twitter @salazar_elin. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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