Tag

Lunar Lander

All articles tagged with #lunar lander

space1 month ago•5 min saved

NASA OIG flags gaps in Artemis lunar lander risk management

The NASA Office of Inspector General warns gaps in the agency’s plan to test and validate SpaceX- and Blue Origin–built lunar landers for Artemis missions, including crew-survival analyses and non-fatal-emergency scenarios, noting there would be no in-space rescue capability; as Artemis II nears launch and Artemis III is planned with orbital refueling and lander in-flight checks, NASA aims to mitigate hazards but the report says significant gaps remain.

via Spaceflight Now|

#artemis #blue-origin #lunar-lander

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

NASA-Spacex tussle over Moon lander manual controls ahead of design review

NASA’s inspector general report on the Human Landing System contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin notes the fixed-price approach is cost-effective but highlights a dispute over whether SpaceX’s Starship should allow astronauts manual control during lunar landings, with NASA warning the manual-control risk could worsen as a Critical Design Review approaches. The report references Apollo’s backup manual method, recalls the Dragon control-history debate, notes Blue Origin has not yet defined its manual controls, and states uncrewed demonstrations will precede crewed Moon missions.

via Ars Technica|

#human-landing-system #lunar-lander #nasa

space1 month ago•5 min saved

Artemis Plan Reorients: In-Orbit Tests Ahead of 2028 Moon Landing

NASA is reshaping the Artemis program: Artemis III will test key technologies in low Earth orbit instead of landing, and Artemis IV is now scheduled for a 2028 crewed lunar landing; the plan emphasizes in-space life-support, propulsion, and communications tests, potential docking with commercial lunar landers, and new AxEMU suits, while Lunar Gateway is not mentioned in the latest rollout and workforce/schedule challenges persist.

via ScienceAlert|

#artemis-program #lunar-lander #moon

science1 month ago•9 min saved

NASA overhauls Artemis to speed lunar return with a standardized SLS

NASA announced a sweeping Artemis overhaul: cancel the costly Exploration Upper Stage, standardize the SLS for a higher cadence (about every 10 months), and push more work to commercial lunar landers with SpaceX and Blue Origin so Artemis III won't land on the Moon but will dock Orion with landers in Earth orbit; Artemis IV would be the first lunar landing, with annual missions beginning in mid-2027 and into 2028, while Gateway tower and Moon-base questions stay under review.

via Ars Technica|

#artemis #centaur-v #exploration-upper-stage

policy-and-politics2 months ago•14 min saved

House bill tightens NASA oversight of Artemis lander and spacesuits

The House Science Committee’s NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 would require NASA to provide detailed progress, funding, milestones, and challenges reports on Blue Origin and SpaceX’s lunar lander work and on spacesuit development, with reports due within 60–90 days of enactment. It also mandates maintaining in-house spacesuit expertise at Johnson Space Center, outlines ISS transition plans to commercial stations, and requests a Mars Sample Return strategy, all while keeping Artemis architecture largely intact and aiming for a 2028 Artemis 3 landing.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis #hls #lunar-lander

space2 months ago•316 min saved

Artemis II: A crewed lunar flyby to test systems—with no landing

Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby, not a lander mission. The goal is to test life-support, thermal control, navigation, propulsion and other onboard systems aboard the Orion capsule and SLS rocket on a translunar, free-return trajectory, with lunar landing deferred to Artemis III (using SpaceX’s Starship HLS). The mission emphasizes crew safety and vehicle health first, may push the crew farther from Earth than any humans have gone, and mirrors Apollo-era testing before attempting a surface landing.

via CNN|

#artemis-ii #lunar-lander #moon

space-exploration5 months ago•4 min saved

SpaceX and NASA Develop Backup Plans for Lunar Landings

SpaceX is developing a simplified version of its Starship-based lunar lander in response to NASA's concerns, aiming for a faster lunar return by 2026, amidst competition and delays in the Artemis program, with Blue Origin also proposing alternatives.

via PCMag|

#artemis #lunar-lander #nasa

space-exploration5 months ago•4 min saved

Blue Origin Eyes Leapfrog Over SpaceX for Artemis 3 Lunar Lander

Blue Origin is advancing its lunar lander program and could potentially beat SpaceX to deliver a lunar landing system for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, especially as SpaceX faces delays with its Starship HLS. Blue Origin's MK1 demonstration mission is expected soon, and its more proven, smaller landers could offer a faster, more reliable alternative for lunar surface missions, possibly accelerating Artemis 3's timeline.

via Gizmodo|

#blue-moon-mk1 #blue-origin #lunar-lander

space-exploration5 months ago•2 min saved

Astrobotic Delays Griffin-1 Lander Launch to 2026

Astrobotic has delayed its Griffin-1 lunar lander mission to mid-2026, with the launch now scheduled for no earlier than July 2026, due to ongoing assembly and testing processes. The mission will carry the FLIP rover and other payloads, replacing the originally planned 2025 launch. The delay follows NASA's decision to cancel the VIPER rover's original mission, which will now be flown by Blue Origin in 2027.

via SpaceNews|

#2026 #astrobotic #delays

space5 months ago•4 min saved

NASA to Reopen Moon Lander Contracts Amid SpaceX Delays

NASA plans to open the Artemis 3 lunar lander contract to competition due to delays by SpaceX, allowing other companies like Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin to propose solutions, as NASA aims to beat China to the moon.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-3 #competition #lunar-lander

space5 months ago•4 min saved

Impulse Space unveils plans for lunar deliveries and lander development

Impulse Space, founded by former SpaceX employee Tom Mueller, plans to develop a robotic lunar lander with a potential first mission as early as 2028, aiming to deliver up to 3 tons of payload to the moon using its Helios kick stage and in-house built lander, expanding private lunar exploration efforts.

via Space|

#2028-launch #impulse-space #lunar-lander

space5 months ago•3 min saved

Impulse Space unveils plans for lunar deliveries and moon lander

Impulse Space plans to develop a lunar lander capable of delivering three metric tons of cargo to the moon starting in 2028, aiming to fill a gap in mid-sized payload delivery for lunar infrastructure development, using their Helios transfer vehicle and existing propulsion technology.

via SpaceNews|

#cargo-delivery #impulse-space #lunar-lander

space6 months ago•2 min saved

NASA Panel Flags Potential Years-Long Delay for Starship Lunar Lander

NASA safety advisers warn that SpaceX's Starship lunar lander may face years-long delays, potentially impacting the Artemis 3 moon landing planned for 2027, due to challenges in demonstrating cryogenic propellant transfer and ongoing development issues. Despite SpaceX's achievements in launch operations, broader program uncertainties and schedule risks for Artemis 3 and beyond are raising concerns about mission timelines.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-3 #delays #lunar-lander

space8 months ago•1 min saved

China Achieves Major Milestone in Lunar Exploration

China successfully tested its new lunar lander, Lanyue, in a simulated lunar environment, verifying its landing and takeoff capabilities, bringing China closer to its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 and establishing an international lunar research station by 2035.

via Space|

#china #lanyue #lunar-lander

space8 months ago•1 min saved

Firefly Aerospace Secures Multiple NASA Contracts for Moon Missions

NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a fourth lunar lander mission, which will deliver two rovers and three scientific instruments to the moon's south polar region, continuing its efforts in lunar exploration.

via SpaceNews|

#firefly-aerospace #lunar-lander #moon-rovers