Competition for Artemis Program Continues, as the Defeated Join Hands

Blue Origin must feel the need to dig in deep to take on SpaceX for the Lunar Lander contract, to the point the company partnered with Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The trio will provide a joint proposal to take on the SpaceX bid for the Artemis lander, providing Blue Origin with a 'round two' to catch NASA's eye. Last year, SpaceX handily won the initial slate of Artemis moon missions, ostensibly beating out the Blue Origin bid on a cost basis. Still, the relative maturity of SpaceX tech undoubtedly cast a positive glow over their bid, holding faint promise of fewer delays and headaches throughout the Artemis program. 

Blue Origin's decision to tag in a pair of the biggest names in aerospace should help provide some much-needed brand maturity for the company's efforts,  allowing it to be taken more seriously as it progresses from space-tourism outfit to a cornerstone of the American space program - or so it hopes. Additional support from a recently acquired subsidiary, Honeybee Robotics, and Astrobotics will allow them to further refine their Lander submission.

NASA's second Lunar Lander contract will give the partnership another shot at greatness, as the administration looks to diversify its options ahead of any problems going forward. Whether recent Musk-flavored Twitter drama has tarnished the SpaceX brand around the NASA water cooler is another thing entirely, though the more mundane - and realistic - suspicion is that NASA would like to have a backup Lunar Lander in its pocket for operational security. Blue Origin seems optimistic about delivering this time around, revealing that this time around, the "team will achieve sustained presence on the moon." 

FMI: www.blueorigin.com