Blue Origin's first lunar lander (Blue Moon MK1) under NASA CLPS program. Will validate technologies for future Artemis missions.
Blue Moon Pathfinder is Blue Origin's first lunar mission and the debut of the Blue Moon MK1 lander. Under NASA's CLPS program, the mission will deliver payloads to the lunar south pole near Shackleton Crater, one of the most scientifically valuable locations on the Moon due to its proximity to permanently shadowed craters containing water ice.
The primary purpose of this mission is technology validation for Blue Origin's much larger Blue Moon MK2 lander, which has been selected by NASA as the Human Landing System for Artemis V and beyond. Pathfinder will test the BE-7 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine, cryogenic propellant management, and precision landing systems that are critical for future crewed missions.
Blue Origin has invested heavily in the Blue Moon program for years, and Pathfinder represents their entry into operational lunar landing. Success would establish Blue Origin as a major lunar lander provider alongside Intuitive Machines and SpaceX, while also proving the BE-7 engine that is central to NASA's long-term Artemis architecture.
Demonstrate the BE-7 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine in the full lunar descent environment, proving the propulsion system central to Blue Origin's Artemis plans.
Land near Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole, validating terrain-relative navigation and hazard avoidance systems in challenging polar terrain.
Test long-duration cryogenic propellant storage and management in the space environment, critical for the larger MK2 missions that will require extended loiter times.
Deliver NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface, contributing to south pole site characterization.
Validate the foundational technologies for the Blue Moon MK2 Human Landing System selected for Artemis V, de-risking the crewed mission.
Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander arrived at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for thermal vacuum testing. The lander is being tested in the 90-foot-tall Chamber A, simulating space conditions with temperatures ranging from -58°F to 86°F to prove the vehicle can maintain thermal equilibrium during its lunar mission.
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