Blue Origin is advancing the development of seven Blue Moon lunar landers, even after the New Glenn rocket suffered a launch failure in May. At the Spacetide conference in Tokyo, the company’s VP for lunar programs, John Couluris, confirmed that these landers are progressing on schedule. This indicates to NASA and its contractors that the launchpad repair and lunar hardware assembly are running on separate timelines.
Of the seven landers, four are versions of the Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander. The first of these, named Endurance, is in final testing and targeted for launch in Q1 2027-delayed from earlier estimates. Another Mark 1 is being prepared to deliver NASA’s VIPER lunar rover. The remaining two will support new Lunar Terrain Vehicles built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, with launches scheduled for 2028.
The other three landers are Blue Moon Mark 2 models designed to support Artemis missions. The first Mark 2 is planned to reach low Earth orbit in 2027, serving as a prototype for an updated Artemis III mission design. It will carry a habitat module similar to those in future crewed versions, but without a full propulsion system. Two additional Mark 2 Alpha landers are in production for a 2028 uncrewed demonstration landing, to be followed by a crewed lunar touchdown.
Blue Moon lunar lander design and mission profile changes
Couluris explained that Blue Moon Mark 2’s architecture was redesigned after NASA shifted Artemis mission plans. Initially, the lander was designed to dock with the Orion capsule at the lunar Gateway station in orbit, but now it’s being adapted for a different orbit aligned with NASA’s updated trajectory plans. This accounts for the markedly different appearance compared to earlier Blue Moon concepts.
Blue Origin’s lunar program has transitioned from a long-term development project to a contract with strict schedules. In 2023, NASA awarded the company a $3.4 billion contract as the second provider of a crewed lunar lander for Artemis. SpaceX won the first contract in 2021 for its Starship HLS at $2.89 billion. NASA’s dual-supplier approach reduces reliance on a single launch vehicle and lunar lander system, increasing resilience for surface missions.
New Glenn launchpad recovery and impact on lunar mission timelines
The May 28 explosion at Blue Origin’s LC-36 launchpad paused operations, but repair efforts proceeded rapidly. The company cleared debris and completed an investigation in just 21 days, faster than the expected 29 days. Engineers removed all seven BE-4 engines from the first stage and both BE-3U engines from the upper stage before starting restoration. Instead of patching the main tower onsite, it will be dismantled and rebuilt on the ground with new cryogenic systems-a thorough approach compared to typical post-accident repairs.
Blue Origin aims to have LC-36 operational again by late 2026. Simultaneously, work is underway on LC-36B for the larger New Glenn 9×4 variant, expected to debut by the end of 2027. However, even if Blue Moon landers meet their development timeline, any delay in the New Glenn launch system reduces mission margin. Lunar missions demand precise timing for launch windows, orbital rendezvous, and crewed surface logistics, allowing little room for delays.
With seven Blue Moon landers actively in development, Blue Origin is managing cargo missions, demonstration vehicles, and crewed lunar landers in parallel. NASA is eager to rapidly deploy the VIPER rover and new Artemis surface vehicles. If Blue Origin can repair its launch facilities on time and adhere to the 2027-2028 launch cadence, NASA will benefit from two viable lunar access routes, marking significant progress toward sustainable crewed exploration.
Unlike SpaceX’s integrated Starship lunar architecture, Blue Origin’s approach separates cargo and crewed landers into evolving stages and depends on the New Glenn launcher, which has yet to demonstrate reliability. In the coming years, this dual-lunar system will be tested for its ability to offer NASA backup and flexibility or whether one platform will dominate. Watch closely for New Glenn’s return to flight and how Blue Moon evolves alongside Artemis schedules.