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NASA’s SCALPSS camera system will study lunar plumes on Blue Origin’s first moon lander mission, scheduled for March 2025.
NASA has selected Blue Origin's lunar lander for a crucial mission carrying the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) payload. This first mission of Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mk 1 lander, slated to launch in March 2025, will gather data on how rocket engine plumes interact with the lunar surface at the moon’s south pole.
The SCALPSS payload aims to advance understanding of plume-surface interactions, which is essential for future Artemis missions. This follows a previous SCALPSS deployment on Intuitive Machines' lander and another planned for Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander. NASA requires SCALPSS to be on a lander with engines producing at least 8,000 pounds-force (lbf) of thrust to meet its research needs, which is satisfied by Blue Origin’s BE-7 engine capable of up to 10,000 lbf.
The $6.1 million task order for Blue Origin, awarded through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, was justified on the basis of the mission's timing and thrust requirements. The Blue Moon Mk 1 Pathfinder mission will use the New Glenn rocket to launch, perform initial checkouts in low Earth orbit, and then proceed to the moon for further tests before landing.
Blue Origin’s lander, standing 8.05 meters tall and with a payload capacity of up to three tons, will serve as a precursor to the more advanced Mark 2 version designed for crewed lunar missions. This mission is a step toward Blue Origin's broader goals of establishing reliable lunar access and advancing technologies for future space exploration.
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