Blue Moon Mk. 2 – Spaceflight Now

Preview: NASA to unveil Artemis 3 crew, provide updates on mission

June 9, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission will be a low Earth orbit rendezvous between the Orion spacecraft and one or both of the Human Landing System landers: Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship.

NASA head urges new launcher for Blue Origin’s moon landers to meet Artemis mission deadlines

June 4, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The change was confirmed by the agency a week after a New Glenn testing explosion destroyed the rocket and damaged Launch Complex 36.

Blue Origin vows to resume New Glenn flights by year’s end

June 3, 2026 William Harwood

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, in an overnight post on the social media platform X, said propellant tanks at launch pad 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station made it through the blast in good shape, as did a nearby processing hangar. The main support gantry, while damaged, can be repaired in place.

NASA Administrator teases further Artemis program updates in one-on-one interview

March 14, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The conversation took place amid the flight readiness review for the Artemis 2 mission, which is currently set to launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, pending work being completed in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

NASA inspector general assesses agency’s management of moon lander risk

March 10, 2026 William Harwood

NASA’s Office of Inspector General said that while NASA is working to “mitigate and prevent hazards” associated with lunar landers being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin, “there are currently gaps in the agency’s approach, including in its testing posture and crew survival analyses,” including what might happen after a catastrophic but non-fatal event.

Blue Origin details lunar exploration progress amid Artemis 3 contract shakeup

October 28, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin’s senior director of civil space shared an update on the company’s progress developing the Blue Moon crew and cargo landers during the American Astronautical Society’s 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium.