Blue Origin Reveals Interiors of the Blue Moon MK2 Lunar Lander for Artemis Missions

Yesterday, during the official streaming of the NG-3 mission by Blue Origin (which ended with a problem in the second stage GS-2 that could generate hazardous debris), the interiors of the Blue Moon MK2 lunar lander were shown. This lander will be employed during crewed Artemis missions starting from 2029, or earlier if the SpaceX Starship variant is not ready in 2028 for the Artemis IV and Artemis V missions.

It is worth noting that Blue Origin is developing two variants of the lunar landers. The first is called Blue Moon MK1 and is a cargo version designed to transport large payloads to the natural satellite's surface. The first model is named Endurance, and its launch is expected to happen within this year as a demonstration mission. A second unit will be launched next year to carry, among other payloads, the NASA lunar rover VIPER.

Interiors of the Blue Moon MK2 Lunar Lander

The second variant is called Blue Moon MK2 and will be intended for crewed missions of the Artemis program. This model uses part of the technologies from MK1 but is larger and features life support systems and space for the crew. Unlike MK1, due to its higher mass, it will require in-orbit refueling to reach the Moon (although in lesser quantities compared to Starship HLS, the Human Landing System).

As mentioned earlier, during the streaming of the NG-3 mission, Blue Origin showcased the cockpit of Blue Moon MK2 visible in a mockup currently under testing. From the images, we can see two large screens positioned near windows, alongside two joysticks for manual control of the attitude and buttons, as well as two thrust control levers.

In comparison, the interiors of the Starship HLS show many similarities with those of the Crew Dragon capsules, featuring large touch screens and virtually no physical buttons. SpaceX has stated that it prefers to avoid manual controls during the landing phases of the lunar lander given its dimensions (particularly its height). This point has been criticized by NASA, which has requested that astronauts have backup manual controls and not just automatic operations.

We do not know how far along the development of SpaceX's and Blue Origin's lunar landers is. According to NASA’s new schedule, there should be a test of one or both in low Earth orbit in 2027 with a crewed mission still utilizing the Orion capsule and the NASA SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Once this test is passed, both models are also expected to perform a crewless landing on the lunar surface and then proceed with the Artemis program and a crewed moon landing in early 2028 and late 2028 (currently assigned to SpaceX with Starship HLS, but there could be changes depending on the outcome of the tests). The timelines are uncertain, and delays are far from unlikely. However, NASA and the USA feel the pressure from China and its space program, which aims to land a crew on the Moon by 2030 (likely in 2029).