NASA Administrator and 2019 Wash100 Award winner Jim Bridenstine is scheduled to announce the selection of the Alabama-based Marshall Space Flight Center as the headquarters for its human lunar lander program on Friday to bring astronauts to the moon by 2024, Reuters reported Friday. Sources said NASA will also make the Johnson Space Center in Houston responsible for the development of a spacecraft to be used to launch astronauts off the lunar surface to the Gateway platform.
According to the report, Rep. Brian Babin and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn wrote a letter to Bridenstine on Thursday, urging him to reassess the decision on the Marshall facility. They argued that the Johnson Space Center should house the lunar landing program.
Lockheed Martin, SpaceX and Blue Origin are working on various components of the lander as NASA plans to issue a solicitation later this year.
