Blue Moon Pathfinder Mission 1 is a robotic lunar landing mission planned for launch in 2027. The spacecraft is to be built and operated by Blue Origin as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.https://www.nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7189/
Overview As a flight test of a prototype Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, the mission will demonstrate critical systems, including the BE-7 engine, cryogenic fluid power and propulsion systems, avionics, continuous downlink communications, and precision landing with an accuracy within . Validating these technologies is essential for supporting future Human Landing System missions under NASA's Artemis program, which will utilize the larger Blue Moon Mark 2 lander.
Blue Origin also plans to offer future Blue Moon Mark 1 missions to commercial, governmental, and institutional customers seeking lunar payload delivery. The Pathfinder mission is partially funded by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, under which Blue Origin was awarded in July 2024 to transport the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) payload.
Payloads
Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS): Produced by the Langley Research Center, it is an array of four high-resolution cameras for collecting imagery of how the plume from the lander's high-thrust BE-7 engine interacts with the lunar surface during and after descent. Similar SCALPSS payloads were flown aboard the IM-1 and Blue Ghost Mission 1 CLPS missions. The data gathered will help scientists better understand the effects of rocket exhaust on the Moon's regolith, providing valuable insights for future Artemis missions. Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA): Manufactured by the Goddard Space Flight Center, it is an array of eight retroreflectors designed to determine the spacecraft's precise location and distance from Earth with the reflection of laser light from orbiting spacecraft.
See also Starship HLS Apollo Lunar Module
References
External links
Blue Moon Mark 1 – Blue Origin