Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin, unveiled a lunar land last week that he said will transport equipment and possibly human beings to the south pole of the Moon by 2024.
In a a presentation in the state of Washington, Bezos said the lander can transport 3.6 metric tons to the lunar surface. Under development for the past three years, the lander will be capable of carrying scientific instruments as well as rovers for exploration, reports Republic World.
Bezos also unveiled the company’s BE-7 rocket engine, which he declared will be test-fired soon. Many parts of engine were 3D printed.
Said Bezos: “We were given a gift — this nearby body called the moon. The moon is a good place to being manufacturing in space due to its lower gravity than the Earth. Getting resources from the moon takes 24 times less energy to get it off the surface compared to the Earth, and that is a huge lever.”
Blue Origin’s goal is to land on the Moon’s south pole where ice is located in craters sheltered from the sun. From this water, hydrogen can be extracted. A permanent settlement there could become an industrial outpost for solar exploration. Blue Origin plans to begin building the infrastructure for a lunar base.
Bezos did not announce a specific date for the first launch, but promised that the lander would be ready in time to make President Donald Trump’s announced timeline to return humans to the Moon by 2024. “We can help make that timeline, but only because we started three years ago,” he said. “It’s time to go back to the moon, this time to stay.”