NASA selects nine US companies to compete for Moon program

ORLANDO (Florida) (Reuters) US companies, including Lockheed Martin Corp ( LMT.N ), will be vying for funds under the long-term program. duration on moon of the space agency, a private-public company aimed at developing a technology to explore the lunar surface.

Companies, some of which will develop small launchers and robotic robots over the next 10 years, will compete for $ 2.6 billion of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's commercial lunar payload service program from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

By 2022, NASA plans to begin construction of a new space station laboratory that will gravitate around the moon and serve as a pit stop for missions in the deepest regions of our solar system, such as March.

"When we go to the Moon, we want to be a customer among many customers in a robust market between the Earth and the Moon," said Thursday NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"Moon payloads could fly as early as 2019 as part of these contracted missions," NASA said in a previous press release.

In addition to Lockheed Martin, NASA chose Draper, who developed computers for Apollo missions, Astrobotic Technology Inc., Firefly Aerospace Inc., Moon Express, and four others to potentially develop equipment for the program.