SpaceX wins $2.9 bln NASA contract for moon spacecraft -Washington Post

NASA has awarded billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to fly astronauts to the moon, bypassing Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc, the Washington Post reported on Friday. The mission will be the first by the U.S. space agency since its Apollo mission, the report said.

NASA has awarded billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to fly astronauts to the moon, bypassing Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

The mission will be the first by the U.S. space agency since its Apollo mission, the report said. The bid by Musk, who also leads Tesla Inc, beat one from Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, had partnered with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper, according to the report. Bezos also owns the Washington Post.

SpaceX earlier this week announced it had raised about $1.16 billion in equity financing.