- The Amazon inc’s space company Blue Origin on May 9, 2019, unveiled a lunar lander ‘Blue Moon’ that would be used to transport equipment, and possibly human beings, to the south pole of the moon by 2024.
- The world’s richest man and the owner of the company Jeff Bezos unveiled the lunar probe at a presentation in Washington .
- Mr. Bezos didn’t announce a specific date for the project’s first launch, but said the lander would be ready in time to make President Donald Trump’s announced timeline to return people to the moon by 2024.
- The vehicle has been under development for the past three years, Mr. Bezos said. It will be capable of carrying scientific instruments, the four small rovers, and also a future pressurised vehicle for humans.
- The goal is to land on the moon’s south pole, where ice deposits were confirmed in 2018. Water can be exploited to produce hydrogen, which in turn could fuel future exploration of the solar system.
- Fully loaded with fuel, Blue Origin will weigh about 33,000 pounds (15,000 kilograms), which will decrease to around 7,000 pounds when it is about to land, he said.
- According to Bezos, Blue Moon is propelled by liquid hydrogen and can precisely land up to 6.5 metric tons of cargo on the moon’s surface in its largest configuration. A naval-inspired cargo system will let the lander deliver up to four rovers at once.
