NASA has selected 3 new lunar rover designs to compete for a $4.6 billion contract, with each team receiving funding to finish prototypes within 12 months, and SpaceX is planning to conduct the fourth test flight of Starship in May
Questions to inspire discussion
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What is NASA's plan for lunar rover designs?
—NASA has selected three new lunar rover design teams to compete for a $4.6 billion contract, with each team receiving funding to finish prototypes within 12 months.
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What caused the delay in Blue Origin's suborbital commercial crew vehicle?
—Rocket engine failure caused a 15-month delay, but Blue Origin will still attract new space tourism customers.
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What is the upcoming mission for Blue Origin's New Shepard?
—The upcoming Mission ns25 will carry a full six-person crew, including former NASA astronaut candidate Ed Dwight, marking the first crewed flight after an explosion during an uncrewed flight in September 2022.
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What is the significance of the new RS25 rocket engine?
—The new RS25 rocket engine, designed for use on the SLS Artemis lunar missions, has completed its second and final certification testing and features 3D printed parts and modern actuators.
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How will the new engines for SLS launches impact NASA's missions?
—NASA securing a contract for new engines for SLS launches could improve the rocket's reliability and contribute to the success of the Artemis lunar missions.
Key Insights
- 🌕 The winning team will land a contract worth $4.6 billion to design a better Rover for use at the lunar South Pole, leading to a potential new era of lunar exploration.
- 🚀 NASA requires the rovers to have the ability to gather and store electricity, move at least as fast as 15 kmph, and hold 20 km of charge on board with the capacity to survive a lunar night cycle.
- 🚀 SpaceX has already signed an agreement to take Flex Rover to the moon on board their starship rocket in 2026, gaining attention for their fullscale working prototype.
- 🔥 Solving the issue of extreme heat during re-entry is a major stepping stone to landing Starship on a pad, making the next test launch pivotal for SpaceX's plans going forwards.
- 🌍 SpaceX is ready to build up to six more vehicles this year to support the increased pace of test launches, showing their commitment to advancing space exploration.
- 🚀 Elon Musk plans to increase the thrust of the new Starship version 2 from 230 to 280 metric tons force, potentially up to 330 metric tons.
- 🌌 Blue Origin won't have trouble finding new customers for their space tourism business, despite the setbacks.
- 🌕 The new engine is a priority for NASA's Artemis lunar missions, showcasing the importance of technological advancements in space exploration.
#SpaceX
X Mentions: @SpaceX
Clips
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00:00 🚀 NASA selects 3 new lunar rover designs to compete for $4.6 billion contract, with each team receiving funding to finish prototypes within 12 months.
- NASA has selected three new lunar rover design teams to compete for the chance to demonstrate their concepts on the moon, with the winning team receiving a $4.6 billion contract.
- NASA has revealed new lunar rovers from three different teams, each with unique designs and capabilities, and they will receive funding to finish their prototypes within 12 months.
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02:30 🚀 NASA is revealing a new lunar rover that must be able to operate with or without crew, meet a 10-year operating life, stay within a 10 meter difference from their Positioning Systems, gather and store electricity, move at least 15 kmph, and hold 20 km of charge on board.
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03:50 🚀 Astrolab's Flex Rover has a head start and SpaceX has already signed an agreement to take it to the moon in 2026, with NASA planning to announce a pressurized Rover next week.
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05:03 🚀 SpaceX plans to conduct the fourth test flight of Starship in May, focusing on rapid iteration to solve the re-entry heat issue and pave the way for successful future launches.
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06:09 🚀 SpaceX aims to test control on their rocket, with plans to land the booster on a virtual tower and build six more vehicles this year to support increased test launches.
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07:32 🚀 SpaceX plans to increase production rate at Chica's Starbase next year, apply new improvements to Starship version 2 with Raptor engine improvements, and perform operational launches from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
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08:31 🚀 Blue Origin's New Shepard will return to the Launchpad with a crew for the first time after an explosion, carrying a full six-person crew including former NASA astronaut candidate Ed Dwight, despite a 15-month delay due to rocket engine failure.
- Blue Origin's suborbital commercial crew vehicle New Shepard will be heading back to the Launchpad with a crew for the first time after an explosion during an uncrewed flight in September 2022, with the upcoming Mission ns25 carrying a full six-person crew including former NASA astronaut candidate Ed Dwight.
- Rocket engine failure caused a 15-month delay, but Blue Origin will still attract new space tourism customers.
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10:04 🚀 NASA's new RS25 rocket engine, designed for SLS Artemis lunar missions, has completed certification testing and features 3D printed parts and modern actuators, potentially improving the rocket's reliability.
- NASA's Stennis Space Center announced that the new RS25 rocket engine has completed its second and final certification testing, with the new engine being designed for use on the SLS Artemis lunar missions and featuring 3D printed parts and modern actuators.
- NASA has secured a contract for new engines for SLS launches, which could improve the rocket's reliability.
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Duration: 0:11:50
Publication Date: 2024-04-13T20:52:41Z WatchUrl:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xGKFxCV9vI
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