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In an exciting development for the Artemis moon program, NASA has chosen Jeff Bezos's aerospace company, Blue Origin, to construct a second spacecraft that will transport astronauts to-and-from the moon's surface. 

On Friday NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his announced the partnership, stating, "Today we are excited to announce Blue Origin will build a human landing system as NASA's second provider to deliver Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface."

This contract, valued at approximately $3.4 billion, marks a significant milestone for Blue Origin after it lost a previous lunar-landing bid to its competitor, SpaceX.

“We want more competition; we want two landers. It means you have reliability; you have backups. It benefits Nasa, it benefits the American people,” Nelson explained.

Artemis program 

NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon after more than 50 years.

 The contract requires Blue Origin to conduct an uncrewed mission demonstration to the moon, followed by a crewed voyage scheduled for 2029. Blue Origin will be responsible for designing, testing, and developing a lunar lander. 

Nelson also emphasized the importance of collaboration and investment in space infrastructure, describing it as a crucial step toward landing the first astronauts on Mars. 

This announcement comes amidst growing competition among private companies seeking a prominent role in space activities and vying for lucrative government contracts. 

In April 2021, NASA awarded a $2.89 billion contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX to develop a human landing system for the Artemis program.

Blue Origin, in collaboration with defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as well as spacecraft software firm Draper and robotics company Astrobotic, will build a 16-meter (52-foot) tall lander. Notably, these companies were also part of the unsuccessful bid in 2021 that Blue Origin contested in court after losing to SpaceX.

Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon.com and Blue Origin, expressed his honor and excitement about the opportunity to work with NASA in a tweet following the announcement. He stated, "Honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon—this time to stay."

The selection of Blue Origin for this contract highlights the progress and potential of private space companies in advancing space exploration. With the combined efforts of NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other key players in the industry, humanity takes another step closer to returning to the moon.