Update on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) Program: Public-Private Partnership Advancing Artemis Sustainable Lunar Exploration

NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) program leads the development of the landers that will land the next astronauts – as well as large cargo – on the Moon under the Artemis campaign. Based out of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., the HLS program marries the extensive human spaceflight expertise of NASA with the speed and innovation of industry to develop key technologies needed for mission success. The HLS program exercises critical insight into providers’ designs and coordinates engineering collaboration work to advance lander development. In addition to the development of landers for Artemis crew, HLS providers SpaceX (on contract for Artemis III and IV) and Blue Origin (on contract for Artemis V), the HLS program has given both companies authority to proceed on preliminary development of variants of their crew landers that can deliver large cargo to the lunar surface. Expected to share about 80 percent design and systems commonality with the human-class landers, the large cargo landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin will be capable of delivering 12-15 metric tons (t) to the Moon. The HLS program will continue to provide risk-based insight into the designs, systems, testing, processes, and production and launch facilities of both providers as they work toward Critical Design Review (CDR). In addition to risk-based insight activities, NASA plays a key role in lander development by providing engineering expertise and unique testing capabilities to the commercial companies through Collaborations and Government Task Agreements (GTAs). With this development approach, the HLS program harnesses the speed and innovation of American industry, while controlling costs. This partnership, however, relies on NASA providing key engineering insight and collaboration with industry in areas they may not have experience or skills. This paper will review progress the HLS program and its providers made during the past year and look ahead to significant developments leading up to Artemis III, the first human lunar landing of the 21st century.