Blue Origin Rocket Explodes, NASA Still Pursuing Artemis III Mission to the Moon

Illustration of the Moon's surface. The Artemis III mission is being prepared as NASA's first step to bring humans back to explore the Moon. (Photo: NASA/PA via The Independent)

NASA is sticking with its target of launching the Artemis III mission in 2027 despite a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploding during a test of its engine ignition. The incident is a new challenge in the United States' ambition to return humans to the Moon.

As reported by The Independent, quoted Sunday, June 15, NASA still trusts Blue Origin, the space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The company plays an important role in the development program of human facilities on the surface of the Moon.

The obstacle arose after the New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin's flagship heavy-lift rocket, experienced a "major anomaly" during engine testing at the 36A launch complex on May 28. The term anomaly in the space world refers to a failure or technical disruption that is not planned.

However, NASA senior official and Artemis program leader Jeremy Parsons said the setback was part of the space technology development process. NASA, said Parsons, also provided technical support to Blue Origin to solve the emerging issues.

"We are confident that New Glenn will be ready for Artemis III with Blue Origin," Parsons said, as quoted by The Independent.

In the same report, John Couluris, Senior Vice President of lunar permanence at Blue Origin, said the investigation and cleaning process of the launch site continued to progress. The company will also rebuild the facilities affected after the cleaning process is completed.

According to Couluris, Blue Origin remains committed to being part of the journey of bringing humans back to the Moon. He emphasized that the company will be judged not only by its success, but also by the way it faces each challenge.

NASA has also announced four astronauts who will be involved in the Artemis III mission, namely Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Randy Bresnik from NASA, and Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency.

They will test the docking procedure in low Earth orbit, which is the process of connecting two spacecraft while in space. The test is carried out between the Orion spacecraft and the commercial Moon lander developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.

The Moon lander is a vehicle designed to carry astronauts from orbit to the Moon's surface. The system is part of the plan to land humans on the Moon by 2028.

The Artemis program is NASA's long-term project to build a base on the Moon and develop the technology needed for long-distance space missions, including trips to Mars.

Although the New Glenn incident raised questions about the readiness of one of the important components of the program, NASA stated that it would continue to work with Blue Origin and all its partners, contractors, and suppliers to ensure that the Artemis III mission target could be achieved.