Lockheed Martin Receives $ 4.6 Billion Contract with NASA for New Space Fleet

Lockheed Martin has landed a $ 4.6 billion contract for the construction of at least six Orion space shuttles for NASA in order to meet the Trump administration's goal of sending astronauts back on the ground. moon, the company announced Monday.

NASA has placed a first order of $ 2.7 billion for three Orion satellites for its Artemis Moon missions. The space agency plans to order three additional ships during the fiscal year 2022 for an additional $ 1.9 billion.

"This contract clearly demonstrates NASA's commitment not only to Orion, but also to Artemis and its bold goal of sending humans to the moon in the next five years," said Rick Ambrose, vice Executive Chairman of Lockheed Martin Space. "We are also committed to Orion and Artemis and the production of these vehicles with a focus on cost, schedule and mission success."

Artemis is NASA's program to send astronauts back to the moon 2024

NASA can order up to six additional Orion satellites during the contract period ending September 30, 2030. If NASA responds to this option, Lockheed "[leverage] Spacecraft production cost data from the previous six missions to allow for the lowest possible unit prices, "said the company.

NASA stated that controlling the satellite in groups of three reduced costs through the efficiency of the supply chain. The Orion probe should be reused at least once.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

"This contract guarantees the production of Orion over the next decade, demonstrating NASA's commitment to establish a sustainable presence on the moon to bring new knowledge and prepare for sending astronauts to Mars" said Jim Bridenstine, director of NASA. "Orion is a state-of-the-art spacecraft, specifically designed for deep space missions with astronauts, and an integral part of NASA's infrastructure for Artemis missions and the 39, future exploration of the solar system. "

Lockheed builds the ships at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The company said the first ship would be ready to "transport the first woman and the next man to the moon in 2024".

The contract was announced while President Trump focused again on space exploration. White House officials urged NASA to accelerate its next planned landing in 2024, four years ahead of schedule.

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Kenneth Bowersox, NASA's Acting Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Exploitation, questioned the feasibility of the schedule. Earlier this month, he told a congressional subcommittee that he "would not bet my elder kid's birthday present or something like that"

Associated Press contributed to this report.