NASA reviews SpaceX and Blue Origin lunar lander plans for Artemis
johnmstark · x · 2026-07-27
NASA reviews SpaceX and Blue Origin lunar lander plans for Artemis
A new GAO report says NASA’s Human Landing System program is still within its cost and schedule baselines, but major changes to Artemis are forcing another review.
- NASA kept the HLS-IC cost baseline at $4.9 billion and is still targeting a February 2028 lunar orbit checkout review.
- NASA added a new Artemis mission, Artemis III, to test docking in Earth orbit before the crewed landing.
- SpaceX and Blue Origin are both lead contractors for the lunar lander effort.
- The report flags major technical and schedule risks for SpaceX’s cryogenic propellant transfer and Raptor engine progress.
- For Blue Origin, NASA is tracking risks around cryogenic propellant storage/transfer and possible underperformance of the cryocooler system.
The report also says NASA is considering ways to simplify the lander architectures and may decide the new mission architecture in summer 2026.
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