NASA’s Moon ship and rocket seem to be working well, so what about the landers?

NASA's Artemis II lunar mission is making significant strides, with the Orion spacecraft showing promising results ahead of its critical reentry test through Earth’s atmosphere this Friday. With the rocket and spacecraft approaching readiness for a lunar landing, the focus now shifts to the crucial component still in development: the lunar lander. Referred to by NASA as the Human Landing System (HLS), the lander is being developed through partnerships with SpaceX, utilizing its Starship vehicle, and Blue Origin, which is working on the Blue Moon lander. Last year, NASA requested both companies to explore options for expediting their lander designs. Notably, both SpaceX and Blue Origin indicated that eliminating the docking requirement with the Lunar Gateway, which operates in a particular orbit known as the near-rectilinear halo orbit, could significantly streamline their processes. In response, NASA has agreed to remove this docking requirement. However, details about the revised plans remain scarce, as neither NASA nor the involved companies have publicly disclosed much information. Reports from Ars Technica indicated that Blue Origin is considering a design that would not necessitate orbital refueling, while SpaceX is evaluating the possibility of docking Starship with Orion in low-Earth orbit. To gain insight into NASA's perspective, Ars recently spoke with Lori Glaze, who oversees the agency's deep space exploration efforts. When asked about the timeline for revealing more on the Human Landing Systems, Glaze confirmed that announcements are forthcoming. She emphasized the seriousness with which both companies are approaching the project and the valuable proposals they have submitted. Glaze also highlighted the importance of completing an analysis of the interactions between the lunar landers and the Orion spacecraft, particularly concerning power and thermal requirements. Ensuring compatibility is crucial to prevent any potential disruptions to the mission's design. Glaze expressed optimism that NASA will soon finalize specific solutions for the lunar landing system as they continue to collaborate closely with their partners.