Blue Origin's Endurance Lander Completes NASA Center Tests, Targeting Late 2027 Launch
Summary: Blue Origin's Endurance test lander recently completed vacuum chamber testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and has been shipped to the company's engine manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, marking continued progress toward the MK1 lunar lander's late 2027 launch target. The vehicle will pave the way for the more advanced MK2 crewed version designated to execute NASA's Artemis lunar landing missions.
Endurance is the official name of Blue Origin's first unmanned test lunar lander, designated MK1, designed to validate key technologies ahead of actual lunar missions. The lander recently completed vacuum chamber testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston—a critical procedure simulating the lunar surface vacuum environment. It was subsequently transported to Blue Origin's engine manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama for further assembly and testing.
Blue Origin is one of two private lunar lander developers supporting NASA's Artemis program, alongside SpaceX. NASA is targeting late 2027 for the launch of Artemis 3, which will fly four astronauts to Earth orbit to practice rendezvous and docking maneuvers with either Blue Moon MK2 or SpaceX's Starship before the actual lunar landing. NASA has indicated it will select whichever lander is ready at the time.
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp previously stated the company expects to conduct 8 to 12 New Glenn launches in 2026 and could potentially achieve its first lunar landing in the second half of 2026.