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Blue Origin’s lunar resource system, known as Blue Alchemist, has passed a key milestone, completing its Critical Design Review in September 2025, Blue Origin announced. The technology is designed to turn lunar soil into solar panels, metals, and oxygen, potentially lowering the cost of Moon missions by more than half. The company plans to test the system in 2026 in a simulated lunar environment.
Blue Origin says the project is aimed at supporting NASA’s Artemis program and future missions to Mars by cutting down the need to launch heavy supplies from Earth. Instead, astronauts could use what’s already on the Moon to build long-term bases and power systems.
Blue Alchemist uses a process called molten regolith electrolysis. Lunar regolith, the dusty soil covering the Moon, is heated above 1,600°C. An electrical current then separates oxygen from metals like iron, aluminum, and silicon. The silicon is refined to ultra-high purity, clean enough to produce efficient solar cells. Oxygen produced in the process could be used for life support or as rocket fuel.
Unlike Earth-based silicon production, which relies on toxic chemicals, Blue Alchemist only needs sunlight and regolith. Blue Origin says this makes it safer and more suitable for operations on the Moon.
The Moon’s regolith contains high amounts of silicon, aluminum, and iron, all useful for construction and energy systems. Blue Origin has developed Earth-made versions of this soil, matching its chemistry and texture, for testing in labs. Using local resources instead of transporting them from Earth could save thousands of dollars per kilogram in mission costs.
The system can create solar cells, protective glass covers, and wires for energy transmission. These products could last for more than a decade on the Moon, even under extreme conditions. They could power habitats, rovers, and other equipment needed for human presence on the surface.
NASA has already awarded Blue Origin $35 million under its Tipping Point program to support the development. A demo is planned for 2026 to prove the system can run without direct human control. This fits with Artemis’s goals of building a permanent lunar presence later this decade.
Blue Origin says Blue Alchemist could also have applications on Earth. The system’s zero-carbon process might be able to turn desert sand into solar cells, avoiding the use of water and harmful chemicals. It could also provide high-purity silicon and other materials for electronics, easing reliance on global supply chains.
Operating at such high heat is difficult. Engineers must prevent oxygen bubbles from damaging equipment while ensuring electrodes can withstand intense heat and chemical reactions. Scaling up the process for use on the Moon will require durable, lightweight systems capable of surviving harsh lunar conditions.
Blue Origin has dedicated more than 65 staff at its 60,000-square-foot Space Resources Center of Excellence to address these issues.
Blue Alchemist fits into Blue Origin’s wider lunar plans, including the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander scheduled for a test flight in 2025. The lander could eventually deliver the system to the Moon for trials on the surface. If it succeeds, it would support Artemis V in 2030, which aims to land astronauts using a larger Mark 2 lander.
The push to develop lunar resources is not limited to the US. China is pursuing its own technologies to support human missions to the Moon by 2030. Blue Origin’s progress adds to the growing competition over who will build the first sustainable base on the lunar surface.
