Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon?

RGClark · 2025-02-01 10:37:53

Estimates of the propellant load on the New Glenn commonly are in the range of 1,150 tons. However, making a comparison of the size of the tanks to those of the Superheavy booster it’s capacity could be estimated as 1/2.6th that of the Superheavy:

(Credit: Ken Kirtland)
https://x.com/kenkirtland17/status/1761 … 11916?s=61

Since the maximum capacity of the Superheavy tanks is ca. 3,600 tons, the New Glenn booster tanks can be estimated to have a maximum capacity of 3,600/2.6 = 1,380 tons.

With tanks filled to this maximum capacity though it would need higher thrust to lift-off. Given the thrust upgrades already planned by Blue Origin for New Glenn, running a delta-v calculation suggests it could get in the range of ca. 100 tons to LEO, a Saturn V class launcher.

But 100 tons to LEO, i.e., Saturn V class, is commonly given as the launch capacity needed for a Moon rocket. Then New Glenn could possibly serve as a single launch Moon rocket.

Remarkably, Blue Origin as soon as next month in March plans to launch a lunar cargo lander to the Moon, the Blue Moon Mk1. At ca. 21 ton mass and 3 ton payload capacity, this could actually serve also as a manned lander if given a 3 ton crew module. The far larger Blue Moon Mk2 multi-billion dollar manned lander would be unnecessary.

Could Blue Origin offer it’s own rocket to the Moon?
https://exoscientist.blogspot.com/2025/ … ocket.html

Bob Clark

tahanson43206 · 2025-02-01 10:43:57

This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.

Post #2: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 37#p229537
GW Johnson confirmed the Blue Origin vehicle could serve as a Moon rocket.

(th)

GW Johnson · 2025-02-02 10:40:14

Beware of faked-up weight statements. They lead you astray very quickly in the rocket equation, due to its exponential nature.

Also beware of rocket equation estimates without vehicle acceleration capabilities being explored. That will also lead you astray very quickly.

As for the topic of this thread, yes, f course the Blue Origin New Glenn could be a moon rocket. It is roughly a Saturn-5-class vehicle. It would require a spacecraft cluster more like what we used on Apollo, than anything to do with Orion and its undersized service module propulsion.

The real problem is NOT technical, it is mostly Senate pork-barrel politics and the lobby power of entrenched old space interests. Note that SpaceX is transforming in slow motion into the new "old space". Musk has gotten close enough to Trump to accelerate that a bit. Which is why Bezos and the rest are also chumming up, both within and without the space industry.

GW

RGClark · 2025-02-21 10:55:49

There is much handwringing at NASA as it appears the Artemis missions will be cancelled. However, in point of fact we are now at a point in the development of spaceflight that manned lunar missions can be mounted for what we are now spending just for flights to the ISS, as long as they are commercially financed.

Then we now have the capability to be at the long-desired position of having a sustained, habitable presence on the Moon:

Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon, Page 2: low cost crewed lunar landers.
https://exoscientist.blogspot.com/2025/ … ocket.html

As part of the calculations I came to a surprising conclusion, the production cost, as opposed to the price charged to a customer, for a manned space capsule might be only a few ten's of millions of dollars.

Bob Clark

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#1 2025-02-01 10:37:53

Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon?

#2 2025-02-01 10:43:57

Re: Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon?

#3 2025-02-02 10:40:14

Re: Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon?

#4 2025-02-21 10:55:49

Re: Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon?

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