NASA Begins Training with Blue Origin's Moon Lander Prototype for 2028 Lunar Mission
NASA is advancing its plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2028, focusing on training with a prototype of Blue Origin's crew moon lander. Following the successful Artemis II mission, NASA is preparing for the next phase of its lunar exploration program. The agency has acquired a full-scale prototype of the crew cabin of Blue Origin's Mark 2 lander, which will be used for a series of human-in-the-loop tests at NASA's Johnson Space Center. These tests will include mission scenarios, mission control communications, spacesuit checkouts, and preparations for simulated moonwalks. The prototype, which is 15 feet tall, represents the crew cabin that will be part of a larger 52-foot-tall lander. Blue Origin and SpaceX have been contracted to develop the landers, although neither has yet demonstrated a successful moon landing. An uncrewed version of Blue Origin's lander, named Endurance, is currently undergoing testing in NASA's thermal vacuum chamber and is expected to deliver science payloads to the lunar sur... 
