{"id":18062,"date":"2019-05-10T01:32:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T17:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/jeff-bezos-unveils-blue-moon-lunar-lander-and-shares-updated-vision-for-blue-origin\/"},"modified":"2019-05-10T01:32:44","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T17:32:44","slug":"jeff-bezos-unveils-blue-moon-lunar-lander-and-shares-updated-vision-for-blue-origin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/jeff-bezos-unveils-blue-moon-lunar-lander-and-shares-updated-vision-for-blue-origin\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Bezos unveils Blue Moon lunar lander and shares updated vision for Blue Origin"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bezos
Jeff Bezos shows off a mockup of the Blue Moon lunar lander. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos today laid out the architecture for missions to the moon aimed at supporting NASA\u2019s goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface by 2024.<\/p>\n

The game plan for Bezos\u2019 space venture, Blue Origin, calls for continuing work on the company\u2019s Blue Moon lunar lander and a new breed of hydrogen-fueled rocket engine known as the BE-7. Blue Origin has been discussing the lander concept with NASA for years, and plans to propose Blue Moon in response to a solicitation that NASA is due to issue this month.<\/p>\n

During today\u2019s invitation-only event here at the Washington Convention Center, Bezos said that sending humans to the moon by 2024 and establishing a permanent lunar settlement would be in sync with his own vision for humanity\u2019s future in space.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this \u2014 it\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d Bezos said. \u201cWe can help meet that timeline, but only because we started this three years ago. It\u2019s time to go back to the moon, this time to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bezos said Blue Origin already has been in touch with customers who\u2019d be interested in sending payloads to the lunar surface on Blue Moon, including Airbus, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins University\u2019s Applied Physics Laboratory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PARC, Southwest Research Institute, Britain\u2019s Surrey Satellite Technology and Germany\u2019s OHB.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are very excited about this capability,\u201d Bezos said.<\/p>\n

The showstopper came when Bezos pulled the wraps off a full-size mockup of the Blue Moon lander. \u201cThis is an incredible vehicle, and it\u2019s going to the moon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A cargo version of lander could deliver 3.6 metric tons of payload to the lunar surface, while a \u201cstretch tank\u201d version of the craft could put 6.5 metric tons on the moon. Bezos said the stretch version would provide enough carrying capacity to accommodate astronauts.<\/p>\n

The stretch lander was shown with an ascent vehicle on top, while an illustration of the cargo lander had a set of four rovers sitting on top. Blue Moon would be equipped with a crane system, or davit, to lower payloads from the lander\u2019s deck to the surface.<\/p>\n

Both versions would be equipped with a single BE-7 engine, capable of 10,000 pounds of thrust. Bezos said hot-fire tests of the BE-7 are due to begin this summer.<\/p>\n