Will Be Blue Moon Pathfinder’s First Mission

Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicle will power the first voyage of Blue Moon Pathfinder to a lunar landing near the lunar south pole as a precursor to subsequent missions.

Pathfinder was chosen by NASA to carry a camera system to study the interaction between the lander’s engine thrust plume and the moon’s regolith.

Regolith refers to the loose rocks, dust and other material on the surface covering the solid rock below. On earth, regolith includes soil and other loose material on the surface. The camera system is called the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, or SCALPSS. The study is critical to future NASA Artemis missions and requires the lander’s engines to produce thrust levels of at least 8,000 pound-feet (lbf). There is a strong correlation between thrust levels and interaction so the 8,000 lbf will approximately mimic the Artemis lander’s engines and enable planners to determine how the engine plumes interact with the regolith.

Because Blue Origin is the only launch provider currently conducting missions to the Lunar South Pole that has the necessary engine thrust, NASA selected the company without the normal competitive bid process. An additional reason for the decision was Blue Origin’s plan to launch the mission in 2025, and NASA needs the SCALPSS data to inform Artemis planners and make any necessary modifications prior to that mission. The justifications were described in a NASA document titled "Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity.”

FMI:  www.blueorigin.com/