WASHINGTON, Sept. 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a contract to
Intuitive Machines, LLC of Houston, to support the agency's lunar relay
systems as part of the Near Space Network, operated by the agency's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Maryland.
This Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services is a new
firm-fixed-price, multiple award,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract. The
contract has a base period of five years with an additional 5-year
option period, with a maximum potential value of $4.82 billion. The base ordering period begins
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, through
Sept. 30, 2029, with the option
period potentially extending the contract through Sept. 30, 2034.
Lunar relays will play an essential role in NASA's Artemis
campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. These
relays will provide vital communication and navigation services for
the exploration and scientific study of the Moon's South Pole
region. Without the extended coverage offered by lunar relays,
landing opportunities at the Moon's South Pole will be
significantly limited due to the lack of direct communication
between potential landing sites and ground stations on Earth.
The lunar relay award also includes services to support
position, navigation, and timing capabilities, which are crucial
for ensuring the safety of navigation on and around the lunar
surface. Under the contract, Intuitive Machines also will enable
NASA to provide communication and navigation services to customer
missions in the near space region.
The initial task award will support the progressive validation
of lunar relay capabilities/services for Artemis. NASA anticipates
these lunar relay services will be used with human landing systems,
the LTV (lunar terrain vehicle), and CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload
Services) flights.
As lunar relay services become fully operational, they will be
integrated into the Near Space Network's expanding portfolio,
enhancing communications and navigation support for future lunar
missions. By implementing these new capabilities reliance on NASA's
Deep Space Network will be reduced.
NASA's goal is to provide users with communication and
navigation services that are secure, reliable, and affordable, so
that all NASA users receive the services required by their mission
within their latency, accuracy, and availability requirements.
This is another step in NASA partnering with U.S. industry to
build commercial space partners to support NASA missions, including
NASA's long-term Moon to Mars objectives for interoperable
communications and navigation capabilities. This award is part of
the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and will be
executed by the Near Space Network team at NASA Goddard.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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SOURCE NASA