Blue Moon Pathfinder

Blue Moon Pathfinder is a planned robotic lunar landing mission to be operated by Blue Origin, set to launch no earlier than August 2025. As a flight test of a prototype Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, the mission will demonstrate critical systems, including the BE-7 engine, cryogenic fluid power and propulsion systems, avionics, continuous downlink communications, and precision landing with an accuracy within 100 meters (330 ft). Validating these technologies is essential for supporting future Human Landing System missions under NASA's Artemis program, which will utilize the larger Blue Moon Mark 2 lander.^[2]

Blue Moon Pathfinder

Rendering of a Blue Moon Mark 1 spacecraft on the Lunar surface
Names	CLPS TO CT-3
Mission type	Lunar landing · Flight test
Operator	Blue Origin
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1-SN001)
Start of mission
Launch date	NET August 2025[1]
Rocket	New Glenn
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, LC‑36
Moon lander
Landing site	South Pole
Commercial Lunar Payload Services ← IM-2 (Athena) Griffin Mission 1 →

Blue Origin also plans to offer future Blue Moon Mark 1 missions to commercial, governmental, and institutional customers seeking lunar payload delivery.^[2] The Pathfinder mission is partially funded by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, under which Blue Origin was awarded US$6.1 million in July 2024 to transport the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) payload. SCALPSS consists of four cameras designed to capture high-resolution imagery of how the plume from the lander's high-thrust BE-7 engine interacts with the lunar surface during and after descent.^[3][4] The data gathered will help scientists better understand the effects of rocket exhaust on the Moon’s regolith, providing valuable insights for future Artemis missions.^[3][5] A similar SCALPSS payload was previously flown aboard the IM-1 CLPS mission.^[6]