Blue Origin has completed another series of tests of its unmanned lunar lander and is moving the vehicle closer to the launch pad. The company expects to make the first unmanned landing on the moon this year.
Blue Origin is building two landing modules. First, Blue Moon MK1, intended for unmanned flights and testing technologies, named Endurance. It recently underwent testing in a vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center and was shipped to the company's facility near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.. Second, MK2, will be able to deliver astronauts to the surface of the moon. This particular device is considered by NASA as one of the two official landing modules of the Artemis program - the other is being developed by SpaceX. On its first flight, Endurance will deliver two scientific instruments to the Moon for NASA's Commercial Scientific Delivery to the Moon program (Commercial Lunar Payload Services ).
At the new location, Endurance is being prepared for radio frequency compatibility testing, upon successful completion of which the device will move to startup. To get NASA permission for manned missions, Blue Moon MK1 is supposed to land on the moon, demonstrate autonomous navigation and refueling with cryogenic fuel, and then fly back into orbit.
Behind NASA's plans, the first landing of astronauts will take place in 2028 year during the Artemis mission 4. Before that, at the end 2027 year, Artemis crew 3 orbital docking with new landers will work. At the same time, there is uncertainty with the launch of Endurance via the New Glenn launch vehicle, польоти якої наразі призупинено через розслідування Федеральної авіаційної адміністрації після відмови другого ступеня під час останнього пуску. Старт до Місяця, among other things, залежатиме від результатів проходження випробувань ракетою.
Source: https://universemagazine.com