Blue Origin unveils lunar lander mockup

Blue Origin on May 14 posted images of a full-scale mockup of its Blue Moon lunar lander, showing a training vehicle the company says is ready to support Artemis astronaut preparation. The images show a cabin with flight-style seating, internal work areas and an exterior ladder for suit and ingress rehearsals. NASA said last week that a full-scale mock-up of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 crew cabin is already operational for training and testing at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The mockup is part of the hardware pipeline for Artemis missions that NASA says will use commercial landers to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface. ### Where is the mockup, and what exactly did Blue Origin show? NASA said on May 7 that the Blue Moon Mark 2 crew cabin prototype is installed in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. The agency described it as a full-scale mock-up of the crew cabin for a future industry lunar lander and said it is now operational for training and testing. (nasa.gov) Blue Origin’s images showed both the exterior shell and the interior layout of the trainer. The posted views match NASA’s description of a cabin that crews and engineers can enter for mission simulations, spacesuit checkouts, mission-control communications and preparations for simulated moonwalks. (nasa.gov) ### How big is the Blue Moon trainer? NASA said the prototype crew cabin is more than 15 feet, or 5 meters, tall. The agency said the flight version of the Blue Moon crew lander that will go to the Moon is expected to stand about 52 feet tall, with the crew cabin located at the base. (nasa.gov) Two astronauts will use that cabin as their living and working space on the lunar surface, according to NASA. The agency said astronauts would eat, sleep, conduct science and observe the lunar environment there during their stay. (nasa.gov) ### What will astronauts and engineers do with it? NASA said the mockup will be used for human-in-the-loop tests, meaning exercises that put people inside the system to run through mission tasks. Those tests include mission scenarios, communications with flight controllers, spacesuit checkouts and preparation for simulated moonwalks. (nasa.gov) The agency also said the trainer will support design feedback as Blue Origin continues developing the lander and as mission planning changes. Over time, NASA said, the mockup is expected to evolve into a more integrated simulator with interactive systems for astronaut and ground-team training. (nasa.gov) ### How does Blue Origin’s lander fit into Artemis? NASA said it is working with two U.S. companies, Blue Origin and SpaceX, to develop human landing systems for Artemis. Under Blue Origin’s 2023 Sustaining Lunar Development contract, the company and its National Team partners are developing a lunar lander and cislunar transporter for astronaut missions to the Moon. (nasa.gov) Blue Origin says the Blue Moon family includes both cargo and crew variants. On its program page, the company says the Mark 2 crew and cargo landers are being built and operated to meet NASA safety requirements. ### What mission sequence is NASA planning next? NASA said Blue Origin’s lander would launch uncrewed on the company’s New Glenn rocket and meet astronauts aboard Orion in lunar orbit. (nasa.gov) Two astronauts would then transfer into the Blue Moon lander for the trip to the surface and back, while other crew members remain aboard Orion. (blueorigin.com) NASA said Artemis III is scheduled next year to test critical systems in Earth orbit, including rendezvous and docking with one or both commercial landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. The agency said those operations are intended to set up Artemis IV and Artemis V in 2028, when NASA plans to return astronauts to the Moon using commercial landers. (nasa.gov)