California-based space travel and space launch company SpaceX has been tapped by NASA to provide a second crewed demonstration landing as a part of the Artemis lunar exploration program. This is a modification—known as option B—on the existing human landing system (HLS) contract between the two parties.

This second landing demonstration is targeting the Artemis IV which is slated for 2027. The original contract obligation was USD 2.9 billion while NASA did not disclose the amount for the second launch.

AnalystQuickTake: NASA awarded the human landing system (HLS) contract, worth USD 2.9 billion, to SpaceX in April 2021 as a key part of its Artemis program. NASA announced that SpaceX will be the sole provider of the lunar lander, a rather unusual move, as NASA typically selects contractors in pairs to continue with the program even if one contractor fails to deliver (e.g., NASA’s commercial crew program includes SpaceX and Boeing). In October 2022, SpaceX surpassed Boeing to become NASA’s second-largest vendor driven by contracts for Artemis and crewed missions to the ISS. The recent extension to the HLS contract further solidifies the relationship between NASA and SpaceX to further SpaceX’s opportunities with government contracts.