Revised Artemis lunar lander plans take shape
SpaceNews • • science
Key Points:
- NASA announced revised acceleration approaches for Artemis lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, with Artemis 3 set to test docking Orion spacecraft with prototypes of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship in low Earth orbit.
- SpaceX’s new plan involves using Starship as both the lunar lander and translunar injection (TLI) stage, docking with Orion in Earth orbit before traveling directly to low lunar orbit, improving crew safety and reducing propellant needs.
- Blue Origin has replaced its previously planned “transporter” spacecraft with Mark 1-derived transfer stages for its Blue Moon lander, reducing technology risks and enabling an earlier flight opportunity.
- Despite a recent New Glenn rocket explosion during a static-fire test, Blue Origin is continuing manufacturing for the Artemis 3 Mark 2 lunar crew module and aims to complete the vehicle for a 2027 launch.
- NASA emphasizes the importance of testing the combined Starship-Orion stack’s controllability during TLI burns, with SpaceX leveraging its Crew Dragon experience to support these new mission architectures.