NASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development for 2028 Moon Missions
The Atlas Times automated desk · Published
Updated
Original reporting by Lee Mohon · NASA
Adapted source excerpt: NASA media usage guidelines; third-party material excluded Terms and license
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As NASA returns humans to the lunar surface and establishes a long-term presence on our closest celestial neighbor, the agency and commercial human landing system providers Blue Origin and SpaceX have streamlined the designs and changed both concepts of operations for its future crewed landers. Since NASA established initial contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX […]
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Summary
NASA, in collaboration with Blue Origin and SpaceX, has accelerated the development of crewed lunar landers to meet a 2028 target for returning astronauts to the Moon. The agency has redefined the Artemis III mission to focus on demonstrating rendezvous and docking capabilities between test versions of both commercial landers and the Orion spacecraft in low Earth orbit, moving away from the previously planned near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. This change allows for different operational concepts for each partner. SpaceX plans to use its Starship Human Landing System to aggregate cryogenic propellant in low Earth orbit via tanker ships, then push the Orion spacecraft to the Moon, where it will dock in low lunar orbit. In contrast, Blue Origin will use its Blue Moon Mark 2 Alpha Lander with three transfer stages to reach an elliptical polar orbit around the Moon, which offers faster return times and reduced propellant needs. Both companies must complete uncrewed demonstration missions before NASA certifies their systems for crewed flights. Contract updates have removed fixed mission assignments, allowing NASA to select the first lander for the 2028 landing based on readiness, with a second landing to follow. Initial surface operations will include two short Moonwalks for scientific sampling and suit testing. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted the agency's intensified efforts, including 24/7 machine shop operations, to ensure the successful and safe return of American astronauts to the lunar surface.
Key points
- NASA and commercial partners Blue Origin and SpaceX have streamlined lander designs and revised concepts of operations to accelerate crewed lunar missions targeted for 2028.
- Artemis III is redefined to demonstrate rendezvous and docking between test versions of both landers and the Orion spacecraft in low Earth orbit, rather than near the Moon.
- SpaceX’s Starship HLS will use in-space propellant aggregation in low Earth orbit and perform a trans-lunar injection burn to move the combined stack to low lunar orbit.
- Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 Alpha Lander will use three transfer stages to reach an elliptical polar orbit around the Moon, deferring propellant transfer.
- Both providers must complete uncrewed demonstration missions before NASA certifies their systems for crewed flights.
- Contract updates remove specific mission assignments, allowing NASA to select the first lander for the 2028 landing based on readiness, with a second landing to follow.
- Initial surface missions will include two approximately two-hour Moonwalks for sample collection and testing of Axiom Space suits.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that machine shops are running 24/7 and core capabilities are being rebuilt to meet the accelerated timeline.
Context and interpretation
The shift to low Earth orbit rendezvous and distinct orbital architectures for each lander aims to reduce propellant requirements and launch timing constraints, thereby de-risking the 2028 crewed lunar return and establishing a foundation for a long-term lunar presence.
Source: NASA