NASA updates lander plans for Moon landings, finally solves long-festering Orion issue

NASA updates lander plans for Moon landings, finally solves long-festering Orion issue

NASA is changing its Artemis lunar landing plans so the Orion spacecraft can dock with the Blue Origin Blue Moon lander in low-lunar orbit, just a few hundred kilometers above the surface, instead of only in a distant elliptical orbit roughly 8,500 kilometers out. The agency confirmed Friday it will work with United Launch Alliance on an extended Centaur V upper stage, giving Orion the extra propulsion needed to reach that lower orbit and return to Earth. Program manager Jeremy Parsons said the change sharply cuts the propellant Blue Moon needs for the round trip to the lunar surface, freeing up mass for other vehicle uses and creating more and faster abort options for astronauts. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the move addresses long-ignored propulsion and spacecraft integration problems that previously forced workarounds like the Lunar Gateway. For taxpayers, the shift means existing hardware is being adapted rather than replaced, potentially reducing cost and schedule pressure on the Artemis program. The next step is joint development of the extended upper stage with United Launch Alliance ahead of crewed lunar landing missions.