Blue Origin tests 1st moon lander ahead of lunar launch later this year (photo)

Blue Origin continues putting its first lunar lander through its paces, testing the spacecraft at NASA centers across the nation to prepare it for its upcoming mission to the moon. That vehicle, named "Endurance," is Blue Origin's uncrewed Blue Moon MK1 test lander, which is designed to pave the way for the more advanced MK2 version that will be capable of flying astronauts to the moon's surface. Blue Moon is one of two private lunar landers, from Blue Origin and SpaceX , that NASA has contracted to support its Artemis program , and both of those vehicles have a lengthy list of tests and qualifications to check off in order to meet the agency's timeline. NASA is targeting late 2027 for the launch of Artemis 3 , which will fly four astronauts to Earth orbit aboard an Orion space capsule. The mission will practice rendezvous and docking maneuvers with either Blue Moon or SpaceX's Starship , or both. NASA has indicated a willingness to fly with whichever lander is ready when it comes time to launch. Endurance recently completed vacuum chamber testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and was shipped to Blue Origin's facilities near Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida last month. Now, the lander is being prepared for radio frequency compatibility testing inside the company's Lunar Plant 1, to ensure the lander's communication systems won't experience any interference before flight. NASA is targeting 2028 for the first Artemis program moon landing on Artemis 4. …