NASA picks Huntsville company for Moon landing study



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A Huntsville-based company is among 11 chosen by NASA to conduct studies and produce prototypes for its human artemis.

Dynetics Inc., which has its corporate headquarters in Cummings Research Park, was contracted by NASA for a descent element study and five descent element prototypes, according to an announcement Thursday by the space agency.

"Marshall Smith, director for human lunar exploration programs at the NASA headquarters, said in the announcement." We will streamline everything from procurement to partnerships to hardware development and even operations. Our team is excited to get back to the moon as soon as possible, and our public / private partnerships to study human landing systems are an important step in that process. "

Dynetics was founded in 1974 and has several other states. Thursday's announcement comes a day after Dynetics won a $ 130 million contract to develop a high-energy laser.

Huntsville: Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman Innovation Systems and Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Through Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix E contracts, the project will be developed for the first time in the future. said in the announcement.

The total award amount is $ 45.5 million, NASA said. As NextSTEP is a public / private partnership program, they are required to contribute at least 20 percent of the total project cost.

The company receiving the contracts:

  • Aerojet Rocketdyne – Canoga Park, California: One transfer vehicle study
  • Blue Origin – Kent, Washington: One descent element study, one transfer vehicle study, and one transfer vehicle prototype
  • Boeing Houston: One descent element study, two descent element prototypes, one transfer vehicle study, one transfer vehicle prototype, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype
  • Dynetics – Huntsville, Alabama: One Descent Element Study and Five Descent Element Prototypes
  • Lockheed Martin – Littleton, Colorado: One descent element study, four descent element prototypes, one transfer element study, and one refueling element study
  • Masten Space Systems – Mojave, California: One Descent Element Prototype
  • Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Dulles, Virginia: One descent element study, one descent element prototypes, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype
  • OrbitBeyond – Edison, New Jersey: Two refueling element prototypes
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation, Louisville, CO, and Madison, Wisconsin: One descent element study, one descent element prototype, one transfer vehicle prototype, and one refueling element study
  • SpaceX – Hawthorne, California: One descent element study
  • SSL – Palo Alto, California: One refueling element and one refueling element prototype.

"We are taking major steps to begin development as soon as possible, including invoking a NEXTSTEP option that allows us to negotiate," Greg Chavers, human landing system formulation manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Huntsville, said in the announcement. "We are keen to collect early industry feedback and we will do this."

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