Lockheed Martin has won a contract from NASA to produce and operate six Orion spacecraft missions, a program the space agency calls the “backbone” of its plans for deep-space exploration and one that will send the first woman to the moon.
NASA and Lockheed Martin Space Systems announced the contract earlier this week, saying it includes the option to order up to 12 spacecraft through Sept. 30, 2030. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, based in Jefferson County, has been the prime contractor during development of the Orion program.
NASA has ordered three Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions III-V for $2.7 billion, according to Lockheed. In fiscal 2022, the agency plans to order three additional Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions VI-VIII for $1.9 billion.
“This contract clearly shows 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,” Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement. “We are equally committed to Orion and Artemis and producing these vehicles with a focus on cost, schedule and mission success.”
The first spacecraft, Artemis III, will carry the first woman and the next man to the moon in 2024, where they will dock with the Gateway and ultimately land on the surface. Gateway will serve as a reusable command and service module in lunar orbit.
“This contract secures Orion production through the next decade, demonstrating NASA’s commitment to establishing a sustainable presence at the Moon to bring back new knowledge and prepare for sending astronauts to Mars,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement.
Orion is designed specifically for deep-space missions with astronauts and is an integral part of the infrastructure for Artemis missions and future exploration of the solar system, Bridenstine added.
Lockheed Martin and NASA recently announced the completion of the Orion crew and service module being developed for the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed mission to the moon. Work on the spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight to the moon, is underway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
