{"id":23505,"date":"2026-06-05T18:42:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/after-new-glenn-anomaly-blue-origin-keeps-focus-on-upcoming-blue-moon-and-mars-missions\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T10:57:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T02:57:03","slug":"after-new-glenn-anomaly-blue-origin-keeps-focus-on-upcoming-blue-moon-and-mars-missions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/after-new-glenn-anomaly-blue-origin-keeps-focus-on-upcoming-blue-moon-and-mars-missions\/","title":{"rendered":"After New Glenn anomaly, Blue Origin keeps focus on upcoming Blue Moon and Mars missions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the damaging loss of New Glenn during hotfire testing at Launch Complex 36 in late May, Blue Origin is moving quickly to get its massive orbital rocket back to flight by the end of the year. New Glenn\u2019s launch manifest remains filled, and several of its most important upcoming missions will launch Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander to the Moon for NASA\u2019s Moon Base program. Furthermore, Blue Origin hopes to have its crewed Blue Moon Mark 2 lander also ready for NASA\u2019s Artemis III mission in 2027.<\/p>\n

Blue Origin is keeping its eyes on targets beyond the Earth-Moon system as well, with the company challenging competitors like Rocket Lab for the design of NASA\u2019s Mars Telecommunications Orbiter. The orbiter will establish a high-speed communications relay network at Mars, which NASA will use for future missions to the red planet.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Moon Base plans and Blue Moon MK1<\/p>\n

On May 26, NASA announced that Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander, Endurance<\/em>, would serve as the lander for the agency\u2019s first Moon Base mission. Originally part of the agency\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, Endurance<\/em> recently completed environmental testing in Thermal Vacuum Chamber A, with a potential launch before the end of 2026, assuming Blue Origin can get New Glenn back to flight quickly.<\/p>\n

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Rendering of Blue Moon MK1 on the surface of the Moon. (Credit: Blue Origin)<\/p>\n

The mission will initiate Phase One of NASA\u2019s plan to establish a habitable lunar base by 2029. Phase One missions will also include Lunar Terrain Vehicles. NASA awarded Blue Origin $188 million to deliver a lunar rover by 2028 using a Blue Moon MK1 lander, which stands 8.05 m tall, can carry 3,000 kg of cargo to any lunar location, and is powered by a single BE-7 engine. Its launch mass is 21,350 kg, benefiting from New Glenn\u2019s high payload capacity and seven-meter fairing.<\/p>\n

On the Moon Base-1 mission, Endurance<\/em> will carry two scientific payloads to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge at the lunar south pole. One, the Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), will capture images of the BE-7 engine plumes interacting with the Moon\u2019s surface, improving our understanding of spacecraft degradation during lunar landings and informing future lander designs. Another payload is the Lunar Retroreflective Array, which uses laser reflections to help spacecraft pinpoint landing sites, a capability essential for future crewed lunar missions.<\/p>\n

Endurance <\/em>will also test key systems, including cryogenic propulsion, avionics, and precision landing, demonstrating the capabilities needed for a future Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2) lander to deliver crew to the surface under NASA\u2019s Artemis program.<\/p>\n

Space Technology<\/path>Technology News<\/path>SpaceX<\/path>\n

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