The landscape of lunar exploration has undergone significant changes with the recent shifts in the White House. Space company Blue Origin is strategically positioning itself to take advantage of the recent upheaval in NASA’s Artemis program.
Context. Following the cancellation of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are out of future lunar missions. In this context, two companies have emerged as the clear frontrunners to reshape NASA’s Artemis program.
SpaceX has dominated the commercial space narrative so far. However, its focus on Mars and competing technological developments may provide Blue Origin with an opportunity. Jeff Bezos’ company might be able to not only catch up but potentially compete directly in the Moon race.
First flight. John Couluris, senior VP of Lunar Permanence at Blue Origin, recently shared new details about the architecture and timeline or the company’s lunar missions.
At the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium conference in Maryland, Couluris announced that Blue Origin plans to conduct an unmanned demonstration flight of its Blue Moon Mark I lunar lander before the end of the year. The lander will fly to the Moon’s south pole.
Blue Moon Mark I. Blue Origin’s first lunar lander is designed to launch aboard its New Glenn rocket. It’s powered by a single BE-7 engine that uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This allows it to carry up to 3.9 tons of cargo to several locations on the lunar surface with a landing accuracy of 330 feet, according to Blue Origin.
Mark I will serve as a testbed for technologies that will be used in the future Blue Moon Mark II spacecraft, which is capable of carrying astronauts. Additionally, Mark I will also transport commercial and NASA payloads to the Moon, including an experiment aimed at measuring the impact of the BE-7 engine on the lunar surface.
Blue Moon Mark II. Blue Origin’s more ambitious project is the crewed Blue Moon Mark II. The vehicle can carry four astronauts or 20 to 30 tons of cargo to the Moon, depending on whether it’s configured for reuse or is expendable.
The recently announced Cislunar Transporter complements this project. It plays a crucial role in enhancing Blue Origin’s strategy, aligning it with SpaceX and its large Starship spacecraft. The Cislunar Transporter is also powered by BE-7 engines and is designed to carry up to 100 tons of cargo from low Earth orbit to lunar orbit.
Cislunar Transporter. Blue Origin’s lunar architecture begins with a New Glenn rocket, which will place the Cislunar Transporter into low Earth orbit. Subsequent launches of the New Glenn rocket will use its upper stage to fill the transporter’s tanks with liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
Once the tanks are filled, the Cislunar Transporter will travel to a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) near the Moon. Mark II, launched on another New Glenn rocket, will also head for the same orbit. It’ll dock with the transporter to get the necessary fuel to land on the Moon and return to the NRHO.
How does it compare to Starship? Blue Origin’s refueling architecture is simpler than SpaceX’s Human Landing System. This system employs a Starship that remains in Earth orbit and must dock with several Starship tankers to gather enough fuel for a lunar mission.
Additionally, Blue Origin is progressing in developing zero boil-off cryogenic propellant storage technology, which it aims to demonstrate by June 2025. This technology addresses the challenge of using liquid fuels for long-duration missions.
An opportunity. Blue Origin’s recent developments are especially relevant in light of the significant budget cuts proposed for NASA. The 2026 budget plans to cancel the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft following the Artemis III mission, which is set for 2027. This mission will use a SpaceX Starship to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface.
The potential dismantling of the Artemis program creates a gap that the Trump administration plans to fill with commercial rockets and spacecraft. This will allow for more ambitious future lunar missions. While SpaceX’s Starship is a clear frontrunner, Blue Origin is actively challenging its position.
Image | Caleb Jack
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