I have been blogging a lot lately establishing a manned base on the Moon. NASA budgets are being discussed and there is an argument about whether or not to focus on exploration of Mars or exploration of the Moon. While an old Apollo-style mission to the Moon would cost far more than the current NASA budget would allow, there are private space companies that are eager to participate in a return to the Moon. Their involvement would lower the price of such an enterprise into a range that would be feasible under current budget restraints.
Blue Origin is the private space company established by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. At the 33rd Space Symposium on April 5, Rob Myerson, the president of Blue Origin, spoke about his company’s interest in exploration of the Moon. They have developed designs for what they call Blue Moon, a lunar lander system. Myerson said that Blue Origin would be willing to form a partnership with NASA and invest in the development of Blue Moon. Blue Moon would be available to make regular deliveries of resources and supplies to a NASA lunar base.
Myerson explained that Blue Moon can “cost effectively soft-land large amounts of mass onto the lunar surface. Any credible first lunar settlement is going to require such a capability.” He went on to say that the lander would be part of a “space transfer and lunar lander architecture, leveraging Blue and NASA technologies “Blue Moon directly leverages our New Shepard proven vertical takeoff and vertical landing technology, combined with our extensive liquid propulsion capabilities to reduce development time and risk. The more NASA flies SLS, the more they will need commercial logistics delivery services. New Glenn and Blue Origin and Blue Moon compliment SLS and Orion, enabling NASA’s return to the moon, and this time to stay.”
Current plans for the Blue Moon are optimized for launch on NASA’s Space Launch System. However, other launch vehicles such as the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 and New Glenn rocket being developed by Blue Origin would also be able to carry the Blue Moon lander system.
NASA currently has plans to develop the Deep Space Gateway in cislunar space between the Earth and the Moon to facilitate the launch of a mission to Mars. However, such a facility could also be used by companies and countries that are interested in setting up manned lunar bases. On April 4 at the symposium, NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot “The goal is to see what we can prove out in the area around the moon and work with our international partners to see what we can do on the surface of the moon.” Private space companies would also be welcome to participate, he said.
Myerson said “The lunar surface offers valuable resources with valuable science return and can serve as a location to demonstrate key technologies and serve as an appropriate location for that long-term permanent settlement. We also believe the moon is in sequence for longer term exploration of the solar system, including Mars. These are the first steps we’re working on to enable our vision of millions of people living and working in space.”
