Partnering On Blue Moon Mission To The Lunar Surface

The OHB Group today signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for future cooperation with the U.S. aerospace company Blue Origin. The document was signed by Dr. Lutz Bertling and Kurt Melching, members of the Management Board of OHB SE, Hans J. Steininger, CEO of MT Aerospace and Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, during a bilateral meeting at the International Space Congress IAC in Bremen.

The aim is to explore the extent to which OHB, MT Aerospace and Blue Origin can work together across the Atlantic. The companies have partnered on a future Blue Moon mission to the lunar surface – Blue Origin’s lunar lander capable of bringing several metric tons of cargo to the Moon. The companies will collaborate on a payload on board Blue Origin’s reusable orbital rocket New Glenn. The use of these systems and possible cooperation will be the subject of in-depth discussions in the transatlantic dialogue.

"We are delighted to have gained Blue Origin as a dialogue partner who has established itself over the past few years as one of the leading companies in the aerospace industry," says Lutz Bertling. "We are convinced that the mixture of the respective competencies will quickly lead to concrete approaches for further cooperation."

Blue Origin has joined leading space companies and agencies to support the creation of The Moon Race, a non-profit working to launch a competition for teams looking for a ride to the lunar surface. The goal is consistent with the company's aim to land large payloads on the Moon that can access and utilize the resources found there. Other partners include ESA, Airbus, and other entities seeking to foster the next generation of lunar exploration – with Blue Moon and New Glenn.

(Source: OHB Group news release. Image provided by Blue Origin)

FMI: www.ohb.de, www.themoonrace.org, www.blueorigin.com