Katie Spicer's Blue Moon role tied to 2028 crewed lunar landing
Background
- Katie Spicer is NASA's lander integration lead for Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 human landing system.
- Blue Origin is developing a streamlined lander test article associated with the Artemis III low Earth orbit rendezvous and docking mission.
- A fully functional Blue Moon lander is linked to a crewed lunar landing dated 2028.
- Spicer's background includes flight controller, science payload and International Space Station National Laboratory work.
- NASA's Moon missions are meant to advance scientific discovery and provide economic benefits, with Artemis astronauts operating near the lunar south pole.
What happened
The facts note that Katie Spicer was a flight controller in 2018. They also identify her as NASA lander integration lead, with work in the Flight Operations Directorate. Her Blue Moon Mark 2 role involves Blue Origin's lander and plans for a crewed lunar landing in 2028.
What we know
Spicer is NASA lander integration lead for Blue Moon Mark 2, a commercially provided human landing system. She assesses and tracks the design and development of Blue Origin's lander.
Her NASA work is in the Flight Operations Directorate. The facts also place NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Blue Origin is developing a streamlined lander test article. The article is associated with the Artemis III rendezvous and docking mission, which is to occur in low Earth orbit.
Blue Origin is also developing a fully functional lander. That lander is linked to a crewed lunar landing dated 2028.
The Blue Moon lander is described as rapidly evolving and as supporting overall Artemis mission objectives. Spicer works with NASA and Blue Origin counterparts.
Spicer holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology. She was a full-time homemaker with 3 children and worked part-time in the historic Life Sciences Laboratory, where Apollo crews were quarantined and Moon rock samples were stored.
Her NASA work also included science payloads and Human Research Facility racks connected to the International Space Station National Laboratory. She was a flight controller, ultimately receiving instructor and flight controller certifications after passing boards and certification tests.
The facts note that she has no engineering degree and served as an Operations and Support Officer. She is on the team sending astronauts back to the lunar surface.
Why it matters
Blue Moon Mark 2 is a commercially provided human landing system, and NASA's lander integration lead assesses and monitors Blue Origin's lander. That makes the role important for readers tracking the lunar industry because the lander is tied to Artemis mission objectives and a 2028 crewed landing.
Spicer's record includes microbiology, homemaking, lab work, payload work and flight control, and notes she has no engineering degree. The facts also state NASA's Moon missions are meant to provide economic benefits and advance scientific discovery, with Artemis astronauts operating near the lunar south pole.
Background
This site reported in October 2026 that Artemis III had been redefined as a 2027 rendezvous in low Earth orbit, with Orion, Blue Origin and SpaceX participating.
In November 2026, the site listed Artemis III in 2027 and assigned Artemis IV's launch and landing to 2028.
What's next
Blue Origin is developing a streamlined test article for an Artemis III mission that will rendezvous and dock in low Earth orbit.
A fully functional lander is being developed for a crewed lunar landing in 2028.
Sources
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