SpaceX was awarded a NASA lunar lander contract over Blue Origin in 2021.
October 22, 2025
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temporal
Procurement decision for development of lunar lander capability in support of NASA's Artemis lunar program.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are companies developing technology intended to support NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon.
October 22, 2025
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Commercial companies are participating in development of lunar lander and related systems for NASA's Artemis efforts.
New Glenn is a rocket developed by Blue Origin.
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descriptive
Identifies the launch vehicle manufactured by Blue Origin.
The Blue Origin New Glenn orbital launch vehicle is approximately 321 feet tall and is powered by a first stage with seven BE-4 methane-fueled main engines producing about 3.8 million pounds of liftoff thrust.
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technical_specification
Vehicle size, engine type, and liftoff thrust are design characteristics of the New Glenn heavy-lift rocket.
The New Glenn launch system is designed with a reusable first stage that can perform a controlled descent to an offshore landing platform, be recovered, and be refurbished for potential reflight.
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vehicle_capability
Reusable first-stage recovery and refurbishment are part of New Glenn's operational concept to enable multiple flights of the booster.
The New Glenn second stage is configured with two engines and is capable of conducting multiple engine burns to achieve trajectories that escape Earth orbit.
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operational_capability
Multiple burns by an upper stage enable insertion onto high-energy or Earth-escape trajectories for planetary missions.