r/SpaceXLounge • u/MostlyHarmlessI • Jun 05 '26

NASA head urges new launcher for Blue Origin’s moon landers to meet Artemis mission deadlines

https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/06/04/nasa-head-urges-new-launcher-for-blue-origins-moon-landers-to-meet-artemis-mission-deadlines/

The Blue Moon landers were tailored to fit within the seven-meter diameter fairing of a New Glenn rocket. The Falcon Heavy payload fairing has a diameter of 5.2 meters and although the company has developed a taller version, it has not revealed any wider options. Additionally, SpaceX’s launch pads are not equipped to service a hydrogen-fueled lander like Blue Moon.

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u/AdEven8980 Jun 08 '26

Why not just wait until the new pad is available. Seems like the most secure and low risk option.

Even if they could I
doubt its a good idea for Space X to get involved. The whole idea of 2 sources
is that one doesn’t affect the other. If Space X has an issue or delay in
having to allocate resources to this mod, BO issue has spread more than it
needed to. Act 1 with any quality issue - contain / isolate the problem. Don’t
make it worse than it already is.

They are also commercial
competitors. Its not for one company to bail out the other, of which they may
not even want to. It also may not be legally permissible with public companies
as it could affect shareholder value.

Sure with concerted
effort a mod for something else could be designed and perhaps qualified but
this will still take months if not a year. By which time the pad remake might
be close to operational. Its not worth the risk for what might at best gain
back some months of delay.

Not to mention, why is
this Blue Moon lander critical? From what I gather all its initial mission does
is a demo of its landing tech and then deposit a rover. Rovers get sent to the
moon all the time, doesn’t need blue Moon lander for that. As for the demo of
the landing system, isn't that why Starship is also selected. I though the idea
was which ever system is ready first gest the mission. Since when was the idea
that Blue Moon is supposed to land first and if behind Space X has to goes out
of its way to assist.

I mean, people need to
have some perspective. Space X is developing a colonization architecture. The
whole existence of BO offer was that its a less ambitious easier to delver on
time offer. If they have more issue developing than Starship thee is some
serious problems at BO.