Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Blue Origin

Blue Origin has begun rolling out company plans to establish itself as a provider of hardware to enable long-term human stays on the moon.

One newly revealed key element is tagged the “Transporter,” a vehicle that can be launched on a single Blue Origin New Glenn launcher into low Earth orbit. It would harvest leftover propellant from the booster’s 2nd stage and then haul the hydrogen and oxygen to lunar orbit.

Earth orbit to Moon orbit…and beyond. Blue Origin’s Transporter.
Image credit: Blue Origin

On the mark

Blue Origin is also busily developing its Mark 1, a robotic lander, as well as a Mark 2 version able to land up to four astronauts on the moon, either to equatorial or polar sites, depending on NASA needs.

For more information on Blue Origin planning, go to my new Space.com story – “Lunar landers and ‘Transporter’ Tankers: Blue Origin unveils its blueprint for the moon” at: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/lunar-landers-and-transporter-tankers-blue-origin-unveils-its-blueprint-for-the-moon