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NASA wants to accelerate its plans to establish a permanent human presence on the surface of the moon. And Bridenstine plans to "increase the use of business partnerships" to achieve this, the budget said.
"Everything, at this point, has put the moon in the forefront in this administration, it looks like they're going to do it all," Anderson said.
NASA's budget provides $ 363 million specifically to help companies develop "a large lunar lander" to carry cargo and astronauts on the surface of the moon. This funding and development model is similar to Anderson's commercial orbital transport program, "which is incredibly encouraging." This NASA program ended in 2013, after SpaceX and Orbital Sciences (now a division of Northrop Grumman) successfully developed new spacecraft and rockets allowing NASA to send freight to the United States. International Space Station.
The space company Musk, as well as Blue Origin, a company of Jeff Bezos, is developing a spacecraft capable of landing on the moon. There is no doubt that both companies are collaborating with NASA to land on the Moon and other planetary bodies, Anderson said.
Mike French, senior vice president of Bryce Space and Technology, also pointed out that SpaceX and Blue Origin were the main NASA fund candidates. He added that there would be "an interesting mix of traditional entrepreneurs", such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, also vying for NASA awards.
In addition, NASA has nine companies competing for lunar transport contracts of up to $ 2.6 billion. This program, known as the Commercial Lunar Payload Service Program (SPDP), would send small payloads and robots to the Moon's surface as early as 2021.
"SPDP is the largest short-term source of revenue for startups," said French.
As part of the SPDP, the agency will award several contracts for lunar missions over the next 10 years.
"Everyone working on the lunar relays will also benefit," said Anderson.
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