We were able to find some interesting information about the work of Artemis III

Ars: You are flying the Artemis III without the advanced ICPS stage because you don’t need the performance to reach low Earth orbit. But you need a second stage of testing. How is this?

Parsons: This, to me, is very good. It’s called a spacer, and we’ve already made it. The steel is already being manufactured at United Launch Alliance, and we will weld it in-house at the Marshall Space Flight Center. We hope to have it on display at the Kennedy Space Center before December, and then we’ll put Orion on top of it. We are in very good shape with this, and I have a good feeling about moving forward.

Ars: So it looks like the rocket and Orion should be good to go by mid-2027. Let’s talk about the other aspects, the two moon landings and their launch vehicles. Starting with Blue Origin, you called the prototype lander flying Artemis III a “lander test case” in your speech today. What does that mean, exactly?

Parsons: It’s between Mk 1 and Mk 2. It’s the same part of the crew moon, which is very important – the same avionics, the same flight software, so we’ll try to test the whole part. This will be the first issue of creating a part of the staff moon, so we will also have the ECLSS system (environmental control and life support).

The main difference between this article and the final version will be the BE-7 engines, so you will not have cryogenics in this test. What we’re going to use is a storage device and a control system because it doesn’t need the pressure required to get to and from the Moon. This also gives us time to run what we call a double launch campaign. This is going to be something very choreographed as we move on to the Artemis IV missions and beyond.

Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 lander, seen from the center, is taller than NASA’s Apollo moon, currently the largest spacecraft to land on the Moon. The Blue Moon MK2 is larger, but all three of its occupants are smaller than SpaceX’s Starship.

Credit: Blue Origin

Ars: Can Blue Origin’s Artemis III lander be installed on the existing 7×2 version of the New Glenn rocket?

Parsons: Yes.

Ars: You and other NASA officials have shown great confidence in New Glenn to be ready to launch the vehicle next year, even later pad eruption a few weeks ago. Is there a decision point where you have to make a go-or-no-go call to fly the Artemis III test pilot on New Glenn or consider other rockets?

Parsons: So there is a choice…

Ars: Like if you get to October or November this year, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch isn’t ready yet.

Parsons: I think you’ve heard from Dave Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, and Jeff Bezos, and they’re all in. Another thing to consider is that they had already started their second pad, so they are about a year into the development period. It will be a two-way street. They’re going in and out of SLC-36 right now, and most of the major equipment is fine.