Mission Summary
Blue Moon MK1, named Endurance, is Blue Origin’s first lunar lander, an uncrewed cargo craft built to prove out the technologies behind the company’s larger crewed lander for NASA’s Artemis program. It is planned to fly to the Moon’s south pole as early as late 2026, launching on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.
Endurance is designed to set down near Shackleton crater carrying two NASA payloads, and to demonstrate three key capabilities: precision landing, engines burning super-cold cryogenic propellant, and autonomous guidance and navigation. The lander recently completed environmental testing in a NASA vacuum chamber.
Its schedule depends on New Glenn returning to flight after a test anomaly in 2026. As a precursor to the crewed Blue Moon MK2, Endurance is meant to show that Blue Origin can deliver substantial cargo to the lunar surface in support of a long-term human return.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
