Blue Origin plans to attempt to land its MK1 on the Moon this year, and if successful, it would become the largest vehicle to touch down on the Moon's surface.
The splashdown off the coast of southern California occurred at 1:44 a.m. EDT, followed by the Dragon cargo capsule's retrieval by SpaceX's recovery vessel.
Long known for its storied aviation history, the Los Angeles region remains a force in aerospace manufacturing—now with the “space” element in sharp focus.
Veteran spaceflight participants note that NASA’s top-line budget for 2026 could mean hands-on human spacecraft operations are on a trajectory to close.