On September 27, according to foreign media reports, NASA has awarded the US space exploration technology company SpaceX an interstellar mapping contract worth US$109.4 million .
Foreign media reported that the $109.4 million contract includes launch services and other mission-related expenses.
According to the contract agreement, SpaceX will launch its Interplanetary Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and four secondary payloads for NASA to perform a mission to investigate the magnetic barrier around the solar system in October 2024.
It is reported that these five types of payloads will be launched from the launch site of Cape Canaveral Air Force Base No. 40 in Florida with SpaceX’s “Falcon 9” rocket.
Foreign media reported that IMAP was approved by NASA in June 2018. The mission is to help researchers better understand the magnetic barrier surrounding our solar system-the heliosphere.
Previously, NASA awarded the lunar lander contract to three competitors, including SpaceX. The other two companies are Blue Origin and Dynetics, with a total contract value of US$967 million.
Among them, SpaceX received 135 million US dollars in funding for the development of a single-stage vehicle derived from its “interplanetary spacecraft.” On Saturday, local time, foreign media reported that an improved version of the company’s “Starship” has passed NASA’s first review.
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