NASA is searching for an alternative way to launch Blue Origin's first lunar lander after a catastrophic explosion of the company's New Glenn rocket threatened to delay Artemis program milestones.
The New Glenn Setback
A May 28 incident saw Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket suffer a catastrophic explosion that damaged Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described a whole-of-government response to the event and urged the development of a new launch path for the company's Blue Moon landers to meet mission deadlines.
With its intended rocket sidelined and its launch pad damaged, Blue Origin faces pressure to find another route to orbit for hardware NASA is counting on.
The Blue Moon Lander
Environmental testing of Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, also known as Endurance, was completed in May 2026 inside Thermal Vacuum Chamber A at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The uncrewed cargo lander is funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration to support the Artemis program.
- New Glenn explosion on May 28 damaged Launch Complex 36
- NASA urges a new launcher for the first Blue Moon lander
- Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance completed vacuum-chamber testing in May
- Moon Base I mission targeted for launch no earlier than fall 2026
- Blue Moon Mark 2 crew lander slated for Artemis 3 as soon as mid-2027
Implications for Artemis
The Artemis campaign aims to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there. Cargo landers like Endurance are meant to deliver payloads ahead of crewed missions, so delays in launching them can cascade through the broader timeline. NASA's push to find an alternate launcher reflects how tightly the schedule is wound and how reliant the agency is on commercial partners.
Training Continues in Parallel
Even amid the launch uncertainty, preparation proceeds. NASA and its industry partners plan to use Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 crew cabin for mission simulations as the agency readies to dock with landers in Earth orbit in 2027 and send astronauts to the Moon later in the decade.
What Happens Next
Restoring Launch Complex 36 and determining the cause of the New Glenn failure will be priorities for Blue Origin, while NASA weighs interim options to keep the Moon Base I mission on track. How quickly the parties resolve the launch question will shape whether the fall 2026 target holds.