When Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad last week, it wasn’t just a blow to the company but also to NASA’s lunar ambitions. To keep the Artemis timeline on track, the agency is now seeking an alternative launcher for Blue Origin’s Moon landers. The cargo lander, Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1), was supposed to launch aboard New Glenn for a demonstration flight this fall. That mission will be the first of NASA’s Moon Base program and a critical step toward developing a Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2), the crew lander Blue Origin is developing for future Artemis missions. Instead of delaying the mission until New Glenn is ready to fly again—which could take more than a year—NASA is “de-coupling the lander from the launch vehicle and the pad itself,” Administrator Jared Isaacman told FOX Business on Thursday. A NASA spokesperson confirmed to Spaceflight Now that the agency would like to see the launches of the MK1 and potentially MK2 move to a rocket that’s not New Glenn.
“NASA is laser focused on the lander because we’re laser focused on our mission to return astronauts to the surface of the moon before 2028, and we’re gonna be able to keep that lander in development, progressing, so it’s available for our test mission in 2027, which is Artemis 3, and potentially available to meet our landing objectives in 2028,” Isaacman said.
