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NASA The stated goal of sending the first woman, and the first man since the Apollo program, to the Moon involves the creation of a new space station that will orbit the Moon, which should begin to be built from Here the end of 2022, according to current timelines. . Today, the US Space Agency has issued a public call for suggestions and suggestions from the industry on how US companies could help supply the station.
Like the ISS, the future "lunar orbital gateway" (aka LOP-G, but more commonly referred to simply as the "gateway") will require regular replenishments and freight delivery – both for the many stages of its construction, which should last at least six years before being completed. NASA is also considering the possibility of private companies transporting parts of its lunar landing and, possibly, the exploration and construction of bases on the moon.
NASA's action today is to publish a draft RFP, which means that at this stage it is not really looking for suppliers to submit formal offers. before This is what happens when the industry looks more informally for advice on freight delivery methods that it may even be able to provide before seeking to secure the award of a contract to a successful bidder. .
To deepen current topics and industry issues, NASA is holding a Q & A session on June 26th. Comments must be received by July 10th. The more formal request for proposals will be held later this summer, she predicts, and finally the reward contract for this important work could be as much as $ 7 billion.
NASA previously awarded "SpaceX" private "commercial replenishment services" for the ISS, a similar type of activity but much closer to home. and Orbital Sciences, then a new series of CRS contracts most recently with Orbital ATK (the new entity owned by Northrop Grumman, now Orbital Sciences), Sierra Nevada and SpaceX. It's likely that SpaceX will bid again, just like Blue Origin, Northrup Grumman and Lockheed Martin, to name a few.
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