SpaceX to resupply moon missions with new Dragon capsule

NASA has awarded a contract to SpaceX to supply the Lunar Gateway, a space station to be placed in orbit around the moon. For supplies, SpaceX will use the Falcon Heavy and a new Dragon capsule.

According to NASA, SpaceX will send materials, science experiments and other supplies for astronauts to the Lunar Gateway in the coming years. A 12-year contract has been signed, with a minimum number of launches of two, and a total budget of $7 billion. Incidentally, competitors can also claim part of that budget; SpaceX has not been given the monopoly on the resupply missions.

For the moon missions, SpaceX will use the Falcon Heavy, a heavier version of its widely used Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon Heavy can carry more cargo, and a new version of the Dragon capsule is also being developed for the resupply missions; with the Dragon XL, SpaceX hopes to be able to deliver more cargo per flight.

The Lunar Gateway is a planned space station that NASA wants to put into orbit around the moon, and from which moon missions can be carried out. NASA also hopes to gain experience for future missions to Mars with the new space base, which should bring the first humans on the moon in 2024.