Bezos to the Moon: Blue Origin fires up BE-7 engine to be used in human lunar mission

As the Chinese Chang'e-5 mission sent its precious payload of lunar dirt into space, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin kicked off a fourth thrust chamber test series of the BE-7 engine, which will power the National Team Human Landing System (HLS) for NASA's Artemis program. Artemis's goal is to put human boots on the lunar south pole …

[Neil Barnes]

Is it just me that feels faintly disappointed

that when they test these rocket engines, the test stand doesn't at least migrate slightly to one side? It makes them look as if they're not really trying!

Rocket engine under test, viewed from above -->

[Jellied Eel]

Re: Is it just me that feels faintly disappointed

that when they test these rocket engines, the test stand doesn't at least migrate slightly to one side?

James May managed that, but they were really trying to beat another team's homebrew rocket. And May had the help of a chappie using the magic polymer gloop as part of the engine. And the rocket stand wasn't exactly up to NASA spec, or Bezos budget, but gloriously British.

But the part of the article that bothered me a little was the mention that Draper would be handling the descent. I'm guessing that won't be a long tape measure dangling from the lander though.

[John Robson]

Re: Is it just me that feels faintly disappointed

"But the part of the article that bothered me a little was the mention that Draper would be handling the descent. I'm guessing that won't be a long tape measure dangling from the lander though."

No, it'll be a short one.

[Alvar]

I can't decide

Is a spaceship built by committee better or worse than one designed by committee?

[Scott Broukell]

We landed on your planet but nobody was in so we threw the scientific package over there somewhere, towards the edge of that huge precipitous crater!

[Imhotep]

And then a miracle occured...

Going to land a human on the moon in 2024? That seems so optimistic, considering where they are at right now.

[imanidiot]

Something about cold day, snowballs chance, etc

"might be a difficult fix for engineers to accomplish without further eroding the chances of Artemis I launching before 2022"

That's not happening and we all know it.

[Christoph]

Blue Origin ... to be used both on the descent and transfer elements

The ascent element ... Lockheed Martin

Draper ... descent guidance

Northrop Grumman ... transfer element

Cue chorus of "It was their fault!" when something goes wrong.

[phuzz]

Sadly, we are unlikely to see another 25 years. While the probe continues to perform admirably, and engineers reckon the solar arrays will keep power flowing at least until 2026, other spacecraft carrying more advanced versions of its instruments are due for launch. It therefore looks like 2025 will see SOHO made redundant and the plug pulled.

That's not sad, that's good! It would be sad if it reached the end of it's life and there was nothing to replace it.