Full Breakdown
Blue Moon Mark 2 Mockup Ready for Artemis Astronaut Training
5/14/2026, 11:34:55 AM
Mockup Assembled at Johnson Space Center
NASA has installed a full-scale mockup of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 lunar lander in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) of Building 9 at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. The mockup sits beside the Orion crew-capsule trainer, allowing Artemis astronauts to move directly from Orion training to lander training.
Artemis HLS Lander Selection
The Artemis program’s Human Landing System (HLS) contracts selected Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship as lunar lander providers. Artemis 3 will be the first crewed lunar landing; NASA has said it will fly with either or both landers depending on readiness.
Size and Training Role
The Blue Moon Mark 2 will be about 52 feet (16 meters) tall, with a crew cabin roughly 15 feet (5 meters) high. The mockup serves as a high-fidelity test article for cabin layout, life-support and docking procedures.
Technical Challenges and Delays
Both landers have experienced development delays. Key technical hurdles include on-orbit cryogenic propellant transfer and long-term storage, capabilities not yet demonstrated in space. NASA requires successful uncrewed lunar landings before crewed qualification.
Implications for Artemis Schedule
The mockup enables early crew familiarization with the lander cabin, potentially shortening training for Artemis 4 and later missions. Delays in lander or spacesuit readiness could shift mission windows.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Blue Moon lander mockup now operational in the SVMF is not the final design of the vehicle, inside or out, but NASA plans to use the test article to provide feedback on its design as Blue Origin continues the real MK2's development, according to a NASA release .” — NASA release
- “NASA has indicated a willingness to fly with either or both vehicles, depending on their readiness.” — NASA release
- “(Image credit: NASA OIG) Both landers have faced delays in development, but Blue Moon is the first of the pair to integrate a cabin model for training at a NASA facility.” — NASA release
- “The mission will fly four astronauts aboard Orion into low Earth orbit , where the spacecraft will rendezvous with the lunar lander vehicles to practice docking procedures and verify their life support and communications systems.” — NASA release
- “If Artemis 3 goes according to plan, and the landers and spacesuits are ready in time, NASA is targeting 2028 for a moon landing on Artemis 4, and possibly again on Artemis 5 that same year.” — NASA release
Upcoming Tests and Milestones
NASA will conduct additional ingress/egress drills in the mockup and evaluate life-support interfaces. Uncrewed test flights of both landers are scheduled before any crewed Artemis mission proceeds, determining the Blue Moon MK2’s role in Artemis 4.
