Blue Origin's ambitious endeavors in space exploration have recently taken center stage. The company has unveiled its latest spacecraft, the Blue Moon Mk1 robotic lander, slated for a 2026 launch, potentially on the next New Glenn flight. This lunar lander, standing at an impressive eight meters tall and weighing 21,350 kg, is designed to transport approximately 3,000 kg to the lunar surface.
The Blue Moon Mk1's maiden voyage, dubbed MK1-SN001, will be a demonstration mission, with a planned landing near Shackleton Crater in the Moon's south polar region. This crater is of particular interest due to its possible reserves of water ice in permanently shadowed areas, untouched by sunlight for over a billion years.
The mission will also feature NASA's Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), equipped with four high-resolution cameras to capture the BE-7's plume during descent, providing valuable data on the effects of rocket exhaust on the lunar regolith. In addition to the Blue Moon Mk1, Blue Origin has announced upgrades to its New Glenn rocket, now designated as the 7×2, with a future variant, the New Glenn 9×4, in development.
Fresh off its highly successful NG-2 flight, which launched the ESCAPADE Mars probes and featured a successful booster landing, Blue Origin unveiled...Find other details related to this topic: See here
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