Blue Origin Shocked SpaceX & China to the Moon in 90 days…Here what Jeff Bezos did!
"Blue Origin Shocked SpaceX & China to the Moon in 90 days…Here what Jeff Bezos did!
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#techmap #techmaps #elonmusk #starshipspacex
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Intro 0:00
Potential winner of the race to the Moon 0:40
Advantages 3:52
Challenges 10:14
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1) SOURCES OF THUMBNAIL
2) SOURCES OF IMAGES AND VIDEOS
Evan Karen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDN1X8Fz1oAXX-rBcOWjzmg
Ijsz23
https://x.com/Ijsz23
velin3d: https://www.youtube.com/c/velin3d/
TijnM : https://twitter.com/m_tijn
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDA8yz_nQY-0Uxd96-qxYjA
Interstellar Gateway - IGW
https://www.youtube.com/@InterstellarGateway/featured
https://x.com/interstellargw
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Blue Origin Shocked SpaceX & China to the Moon in 90 days…Here what Jeff Bezos did!
Blue Origin might be taking its sweet time with the New Glenn rocket, but don’t count them out just yet. In fact, they could be the first to pull off a lunar landing in this new space race, ahead of both SpaceX and China.
Their first Blue Moon lander, the Mark 1 Pathfinder mission, is already gearing up for launch this year. That’s a big deal. But how did they catch up so quickly? And what makes them confident they can beat the competition to the Moon?
So in today’s episode of Techmap, we’re breaking it all down: Blue Origin’s game plan, the tech powering their lunar dreams, and the critical obstacles they still need to overcome.
Blue Origin Shocked SpaceX & China to the Moon in 90 days…Here what Jeff Bezos did!
In early March 2024, Blue Origin announced plans to launch the first version of its Blue Moon lander, called “Mark 1”, within 12 to 16 months. Mark 1 is a cargo lander, and we got our first look at a mockup back in October 2023.
The upcoming Pathfinder mission, MK1-SN001, will serve as a crucial demo, showing off the vehicle’s key capabilities. That includes testing the BE-7 engine, cryogenic fluid power and propulsion systems, avionics, maintaining solid communication links, and most importantly, landing with high precision, within about 328 feet (100 meters). This mission will also carry NASA’s science payload to the Moon’s south polar region. One major goal is to study how the lander’s engine plume affects the lunar surface. NASA’s suite of cameras for this, called SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies), will help prepare for future crewed landings.
After that pathfinding flight, the Mark 1 will be available for commercial use, but MK1-SN001 is more than just a demo; it’s a vital step in proving the technology behind Blue Origin’s Human Landing System, also called Blue Moon, which is being developed for NASA.
Blue Origin Shocked SpaceX & China to the Moon in 90 days…Here what Jeff Bezos did!
What’s surprising is the tight timeline. Blue Origin is aiming for a Moon landing by summer 2025, just 12 to 16 months after their announcement, even though the project officially kicked off in May 2023, when NASA awarded them a $3.4 billion contract to build a second lunar lander for the Artemis program. The trip to the Moon itself takes only a few days, so if everything stays on track, Blue Origin could beat both SpaceX and China to the next uncrewed landing.
Right now, SpaceX is targeting 2026 for its first uncrewed Starship lunar landing. That demo is key for preparing Artemis 3 in 2027 and Artemis 4 in 2028. On the other hand, China is gearing up for Chang’e 7 in 2026, a mission focused on the Moon’s south pole. While it won’t be China’s first lunar lander, it will be the first to target the lunar south pole with an integrated mission architecture including lander. Chang’e 3 (2013) and Chang’e 4 (2019) successfully deployed landers and rovers on the Moon’s near and far sides, respectively. Chang’e 5 (2020) and Chang’e 6 (2024) also involved lunar surface landings for sample return missions.
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