NASA Trains With Blue Origin Moon Lander Prototype Ahead of Artemis Milestones

NASA is using Blue Origin’s full-scale Blue Moon MK2 crew cabin prototype at Johnson Space Center to run Artemis 3/4 simulations, signaling progress for Blue Origin’s lunar lander as SpaceX’s Starship HLS edges toward a crewed Moon landing; Artemis 3 targets late 2027 for orbital tests and surface transfer, while Starship HLS continues milestone work with occasional public updates; Blue Origin’s MK1 Endurance is undergoing testing and could feed into a crewed MK2, and the FAA’s grounding of New Glenn may affect Endurance’s first flight; the next several months will be critical for both programs.