The Human Landing System (HLS) National Team,
led by Blue Origin with partners Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper,
has completed its System Requirements Review (SRR). SRR is the first program
“gated milestone,” which marks the successful baselining of the requirements
for the mission, space vehicles, and ground segment. The design proceeded to
the NASA Certification Baseline Review (CBR), followed by the lower-level
element SRRs, and the preliminary design phase.
The National Team also closed with NASA on the
37 NASA design and construction standards. The Blue Origin-led team had an
aggregate total of 62 design and construction standards spread across the three
partners that comprised the integrated lander, aiding in the rapid progress
expected by NASA’s Human Landing System program. In addition, hundreds of
health and human performance standards and requirements were agreed upon and closed.
The SRR followed Blue Origin program
development processes and was attended by the Blue Moon Science Advisory Board.
The standing review board also comprised senior leaders from all four National
Team partners, plus independent experts, and NASA. Robert Lightfoot, vice
president of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin, chaired the
review. Lightfoot is also a former acting NASA Administrator and Director of
Marshall Space Flight Center.
“Completion of this review allows the National
Team to move forward in its design, much of which is evolving directly from
existing systems such as Orion, and that maturity was exhibited in the review,”
said Lightfoot. “The National Team has been working together seamlessly in its
journey to return Americans to the Moon and the magnitude of the mission is on
our minds daily.”
“Opening the Moon for exploration and business
is one step closer after completion of the SRR,” said Brent Sherwood, vice
president of Advanced Development Programs at Blue Origin. “Achieving major
milestones is the surest way to measure progress toward our first landing.”
“A complex undertaking like human lunar
landings requires paying attention to thousands of details, and thinking
through every likely contingency,” said former U.S. Senator Harrison
Schmitt, Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot and lunar scientist,
and a member of the Blue Moon Science Advisory Board. “I was very
impressed at the depth of engineering and operational sophistication shown in the Systems Requirements
Review. The National Team is working to directly apply the lessons from
the Apollo experience to make America's next crewed lunar landing
successful and the precursor to sustained human activity on the Moon.”
About the National Team
The Blue Origin-led National Team, comprising
Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper, is developing an
integrated landing system for the NASA Artemis Human Landing System Program
managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to return Americans to the lunar
surface – this time to stay. Blue Origin is prime contractor, leads program
management, systems engineering, safety and mission assurance, and mission
engineering and operations; and develops the Descent Element. Lockheed Martin
develops the reusable Ascent Element vehicle and leads crewed flight operations
and training. Northrop Grumman develops the Transfer Element vehicle that
delivers the landing system into low lunar orbit for final descent. Draper
leads descent guidance and provides flight avionics.
