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NASA's SpaceX Human Landing System Contract Shows $3.06 Billion in Cumulative Obligations

Firm-fixed-price HLS award, competitively won in 2020, carries a potential value of $4.55 billion through 2027

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NASA has obligated a cumulative $3,055,729,526.07 to date on its Human Landing System (HLS) contract with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, according to federal spending data published on USAspending.gov. The award, contract number 80MSFC20C0034, is administered by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and covers "the design, development, manufacture, test, launch, demonstration, and engineering support of the Human Landing System (HLS) integrated lander," per the official contract description.

The figure represents total obligations recorded against the contract as of its most recent modification, not a single award action; the contract's potential value, including all priced options, is listed at $4,549,695,247.92, with $4,117,776,525.62 in options already exercised. The definitive, firm-fixed-price contract was originally signed May 13, 2020, following a competitive process that drew five offers under solicitation NNH19ZCQ001K, and its current period of performance runs through December 6, 2027.

For government contracting and space-sector practitioners, the award illustrates how NASA has structured its HLS program, a cornerstone of the Artemis campaign to return astronauts to the lunar surface, as a fixed-price vehicle with incremental obligations tied to milestones and option exercises rather than a single lump-sum payment. The contract falls under NAICS code 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), and NASA's records indicate it was awarded through full and open competition.

Source: USAspending.gov

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