Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are both racing to land on the moon first. SpaceX appears to have an advantage with its upcoming test flights of Starship, which could potentially transport NASA astronauts to the moon by September 2026.
On the other hand, Blue Origin has yet to launch anything into orbit, but they have plans to send a smaller cargo lander to the moon by the end of next year. Despite SpaceX’s progress, Blue Origin’s quicker timeline for their lunar missions may allow them to reach the moon first.
John Couluris, senior vice president of lunar permanence at Blue Origin, recently announced plans for the Mark 1 version of the Blue Moon lander to land on the moon within the next 12 to 16 months. This pathfinder mission will test critical technologies for future missions, such as the BE-7 engine and flight computers.
The Mark 1 lander will be able to carry up to three tons of cargo and is designed to fit inside one of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets. Once launched into orbit, the lander will be propelled towards the moon by the BE-7 engine and will demonstrate key technologies needed for lunar landing missions.
