Jeff Bezos-led Blue Origin notched a big win on Friday when it was chosen by NASA to develop the landing system for Artemis V, the third crewed Artemis Moon mission.
The contract awarded to Blue Origin by NASA is valued at $3.4 billion, of which Blue Origin plans to spend around that much of its own funds.
While the specific vehicle was not mentioned, Blue Origin is already working on its Blue Moon lander. Boeing, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), and Draper are among the companies collaborating on the NASA project.
NASA has previously selected SpaceX's Starship for the first (Artemis III) and second (Artemis IV) human landings.
The news is another significant win for Blue Origin, as it secures a pivotal role in NASA's lunar exploration plans. The company had previously obtained a NASA contract for a Mars science mission and financial support for its Orbital Reef space station. However, a crewed trip to the Moon had eluded them until now.
The Artemis V is scheduled for launch in September 2029.
During the announcement event, Blue Origin revealed that it would contribute "well north" of the $3.4 billion contract amount from its own funds. The mission will involve four astronauts aboard an Orion capsule, with two of them utilizing the Blue Origin lander docked to the Gateway space station to touch down at the lunar south pole. The crew will spend a week conducting various activities, including moonwalks, rover operations, and scientific experiments, while the other astronauts manage the Gateway.
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