NASA is exploring alternative options for its Artemis 3 lunar lander, and Blue Origin appears to be a strong candidate for the contract. With significant delays affecting SpaceX“s lunar lander, the agency is seeking competitors who could deliver a lander in a more timely manner.
Recent developments indicate that Blue Origin could indeed make a leap forward. Jacqueline Cortese, the company”s Senior Director of Civil Space, spoke at the American Astronautical Society”s 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium, highlighting progress on the Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) and Mark 2 (MK2) landers. Cortese mentioned that an MK1 demonstration mission could potentially launch before the end of this year. The MK1 is designed as a cargo lander capable of transporting up to 3 tons of payload to the lunar surface, serving as a precursor to the MK2 crew lander.
Cortese stated, “Especially with MK1 and some of our preceding work we”re doing, we have what we think are some good ideas about maybe a more incremental approach that could be taken advantage of for an acceleration-type scenario.”
Delays in SpaceX“s timeline have opened a window for Blue Origin. In 2021, SpaceX secured a $2.9 billion contract with NASA to provide the first crewed lunar lander for the Artemis program. Their Starship Human Landing System (HLS) is expected to land astronauts on the Moon around mid-2027. However, significant technical issues have emerged, leading to concerns that the Starship HLS may not meet the timeline for the Artemis 3 mission.
Challenges with the Starship stem from its status as the largest and most complex launch vehicle ever constructed, creating considerable logistical hurdles for lunar landings. During recent media appearances, acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy indicated a willingness to reconsider the Artemis 3 contract, allowing other companies to submit proposals to ensure a U.S. return to the Moon during the current presidential term.
Cortese explained that the Blue Moon landers possess a simplicity that Starship HLS lacks. These landers utilize a proven concept and are being developed by a robust team of engineers from Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Draper, Astrobotic, and Honeybee Robotics. Though NASA has already contracted the MK2 for the Artemis 5 mission, plans are underway for the MK2 that could expedite its readiness for Artemis 3.
Currently, the MK1 lander is in the final stages of assembly at a dedicated facility in Port Canaveral, Florida. After assembly, it will be transported to NASA“s Johnson Space Center in Houston for rigorous testing that simulates space conditions. The MK1″s first demonstration mission, called “Pathfinder,” aims to land near the Moon”s south pole, allowing for critical system tests and hardware validation for the MK2 lander.
The mission will also carry two payloads from NASA: SCALPSS, which focuses on lunar-plume surface studies, and LRA, a laser retroreflective array. Cortese noted that the test flight “would launch in the next couple of weeks,” although she did not specify an exact timeline.
If Blue Origin successfully launches the MK1 mission before 2026, it could accelerate the MK2″s development, as both landers share similar hardware. However, Blue Origin will still face significant challenges in getting a crewed MK2 mission off the ground, including validating the life-support system and demonstrating a propellant transfer. Furthermore, even if selected for Artemis 3, integrating this alternative lander into the existing mission architecture could present unexpected complications.
As it stands, the onus is on SpaceX to deliver a functional human landing system before mid-2027. Whether the progress made by Blue Origin will influence SpaceX remains to be seen.
