Category Archives: Blue Origin

Friday / 11 June 2021

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USA Bill May Authorize Second HLS; Russia, China Human-Rated Lunar Craft Progress

~US$10B Authorization For “Dissimilar Redundant” 2024 Human Landing System Award, Widely Speculated To Be In Response To Blue Origin GAO Protest Over Blue Moon Lander (L) Included In Innovation And Competition Act Containing NASA Authorization; Amended By Commerce Committee Chair Senator Maria Cantwell; Meanwhile Roscosmos Prime Contractor RSC Energia Continues Construction On 18 m3 Orel ‘Eagle’ (TR) And CNSA Contractor CASC Plans Next Test Of 13 m3 Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft (BR) With Missions Slated For Late 2020s

Credits: Blue Origin, RSC Energia, CASC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Oct 2020

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2024 Artemis Human Moon Lander Teams Clear Certification Baseline Reviews

NASA HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan Oversees CBR Process, Customized To Establish Standards For Each Of 3 Unique Lander Designs: Traditional Approach By Blue Origin Group Awarded US$579M, Stripped-Down Strategy From Dynetics / 25+ Subcontractors Awarded $253M And Novel In-Space Refueling Method From SpaceX Initially Awarded $135M + $53M For Propellant Transfer Demonstration; Safety, Construction, Testing / Validation Considered; Watson-Morgan Is Confident That Diversity Of Design Advances “Bold And Challenging Objective Of Sending Astronauts To The Lunar South Pole”; ≤ 2 Option A Contracts To Be Issued NLT Feb 2021

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Dynetics, Blue Origin

Tuesday / 4 February 2020

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Blue Origin To Test BE-7 Lunar Lander Engine At Edwards AFB

Blue Origin Partners With Air Force Research Laboratory To Develop Test Facility For BE-7 Lunar Lander Engine, Signs 15-Year Cooperation Agreement; Facility Will Test BE-7 In Simulated Space Environments; New 10,000 Pound Thrust Engine Is Designed For In-Space Applications Including The Blue Moon Lunar Lander; Blue Origin “O’Neill Building” Headquarters In Kent, Washington, Features Blue Moon Mockup Along With Science Fiction Spaceships; Blue Origin Hiring Engineers To Compete For NASA Lunar Contracts

Credits: Blue Origin, Air Force Research Lab

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Jan 2020

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International Moon Landings 2020-2021 Begin Lunar Decade

Multiple Nations And Commercial Enterprises Prepare For Landings In First Years Of Lunar Decade; India Proceeding At Full Speed With Chandrayaan-3 (BR) For November 2020; China (Zhongguo) Plans Chang’e-5 (TR) NLT Dec 2020; NASA Commercial Lunar Services Providers Astrobotic And Intuitive Machines (L) Both Plan Landings NET July 2021; Chang’e-6 And Chang’e-7 Planned For Near Future; Chandrayaan-4 May Follow In Cooperation With JAXA, And Possibly Chandrayaan-5; SpaceX And Blue Origin (C) Also Plan To Land Payloads In Early 2020s

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin, CNSA, ISRO

Friday / 25 Oct 2019

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International Space Agencies And Private Enterprises Sign Agreements To Land On Moon

Heads Of Space Agencies Meet At 70th International Astronautical Congress In Washington DC; NASA Unveils New Woman-Focused Logo For Artemis; Scientists Report First Results From Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Aboard Queqiao Orbiter; Japan Formally Commits To Artemis And Partners With India For 2023 Moon Landing; Blue Origin Teams With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman For Artemis Lunar Lander; Israel Renews Commitment To Land On Moon And Tours World With Moon-Themed Escape Room

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL

Tuesday / 8 October 2019

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NASA Awards Funding And Requests Proposals For Lunar Fuel Production, Spacesuits And Cubesats For Artemis

NASA Awards US$17.4M To 4 Companies To Study Production Of Fuel On Moon Or Mars; Blue Origin, SpaceX, Utah-based OxEon Energy, And Connecticut-based Skyre To Receive Funding; Request For Information Also Issued By NASA For Companies To Produce Lunar Spacesuits That Could Also Be Used By Private Astronauts; Additional Cubesat Launch Initiative Seeks Secondary Payloads To Fly With Artemis 2 On Space Launch System, The First Crewed Lunar Orbit Mission Since 1970s, Planned For 2023

Credits: NASA, ILC Dover, Lockheed Martin

Tuesday / 20 Aug 2019

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National Space Council Faces NASA And Private Options For Reaching Moon

USA National Space Council Chaired By VP Mike Pence Meets 20 August At National Air And Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center, Venue Where Pence In 2017 Has Already Committed To Lunar Return; Former House Speaker And Free Enterprise Advocate Newt Gingrich Proposes US$2B Prize To First USA Company To Land Humans On Moon; SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Claims They Can Land On Moon With Starship By 2023; Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Is Also In Competition

Credits: SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin

Friday / 19 July 2019

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Jeff Bezos And Caroline Kennedy Make Enterprising, Opportune Comments For USA Return / First Women To Moon South Pole ASAP  

During Interview With CBS News On Apollo11@50, Bezos Shares His Hope For Blue Moon Lander(s) To Be On Mission To Land First Women On Moon – Which Is “Long Past Due” As Stated By Caroline Kennedy, Daughter JFK; Blue Origin Plans To Be Instrumental To USA Artemis Program, Envisions Cooperation With Dozens Of Other Companies & Governments To Achieve This Goal; Govt Commitment To Necessary Funding To Realize 2024 / Sustainable Moon Return Remains Significant Challenge

Credits: Blue Origin, NASA, LRO, LROC

Friday / 21 June 2019

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JFK Space Summit Looks To Future Lunar Missions And Why “We Choose To Go To The Moon”

Summit At John F. Kennedy Library In Boston MA Features Caroline Kennedy, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Astronauts Ellen Ochoa, Chris Cassidy, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Koichi Wakata, Paolo Nespoli, Oleg Kotov, And Jeff Bezos Of Blue Origin; USA Celebrating Apollo@50 Hopes To Land 1st Women At Moon South Pole 2024; Lunar Base Will Advance Science, Secure Resources & Support Long-Term Survival Of Species; Bezos States ‘We Need To Go To Space, It’s Not Optional’, Has Vision Of Trillions Living & Working In Space And Moving Heavy Industry Off Earth

Credits: J.F.K. Library, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 June 2019

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New Form Of Public / Private Collaboration Key To Realization Of Artemis Program?

Wealthiest Individual Jeff Bezos Says ‘Civilization Needs Moon’ And Space Habitation Critical To ‘Save Earth’, Hours Before NASA Administrator Bridenstine Declares 2024 Lunar Landing ‘Off The Table’ If Additional US$1.6B Congressional Funding Fails To Materialize; Given Existential Motivation For Humanization Of Space, New Form Of Public / Private Partnership Could Realize Artemis Moon Mission If Political Will Falters

Credits: NASA, Twitter