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The National Human Landing System (HLS) team led by Blue Origin has just delivered to NASA a full-scale prototype of a lander that could one day transport American astronauts to the surface of the moon.
The 40-foot full-scale mock-up is made up of two different components: the ascension element (AE) and the descent element (DE). The mockup will primarily serve as a platform for testing crew operations, i.e. how to lower and ascend astronauts, equipment and supplies.
It could also help NASA teams assess things like cabin ergonomics, cabin viewing angles, and what the experience of getting in and out of the vehicle is while wearing a suit. voluminous spatial, according to News.
“The coolest part about doing this type of mockup assessment is finding the things you haven’t thought of,” said Brent Sherwood, vice president of advanced development programs at Blue Origin. News. “There are going to be surprises that are revealed by this type of physical environment, when you can be there and see it and feel it.
In April, NASA awarded contracts to three companies as part of its Human Landing Systems (HLS) project. In addition to Blue Origin, which by far took the biggest chunk of the $ 967 million total, Alabama-based aircraft company Dynetics and SpaceX also received $ 253 million and $ 135 million, respectively.
SpaceX received funding to develop the Starship, a massive spacecraft intended to transport astronauts to the surface of the moon using the company’s Super Heavy rocket.
A next round of contracts is scheduled for late fall. It’s still unclear how many landers NASA will be able to support, especially given a tight budget cut. “All we can control is the work we have to do,” Sherwood said. News.
“Testing this engineering mockup for crew interaction is a step towards making this historic mission a reality,” Sherwood said in a statement. “The learning we learn from large-scale models cannot be done otherwise.”
In addition to Blue Origin, the project is a collaboration with a number of other avionics heavyweights, including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, each drawing experience from a number of other projects, including the vehicle NASA’s Orion and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus. vehicle, a consumable aircraft that has resupplied the International Space Station.
This is just the beginning; Blue Origin still has its work to do before the lander is even close to launch, including the development of rocket motors powering the various stages.
READ MORE: Blue Origin’s team of human lunar landers provide full-scale engineering mockup to NASA [TechCrunch]
Learn more about Blue Origin: Jeff Bezos just unveiled Blue Origin’s Moon Lander
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