Blue Origin Unveils 20-Metre Power Tower to Supply Electricity at the Lunar South Pole

Blue Origin has revealed the Power Tower, a vertically deployed solar array designed to stand about 20 metres tall and generate more than 10 kilowatts of power for operations near the lunar South Pole. The system is aimed at supplying reliable electricity for future Moon base operations, one of the biggest obstacles standing between short lunar visits and a long-term human presence.

Generating continuous solar power on the Moon is difficult. Away from the poles, a lunar day and night each last roughly two weeks, leaving solar panels without direct sunlight for long stretches. The South Pole is different. Because the Moon is tilted by only about 1.5 degrees, the Sun remains very low on the horizon there, creating a landscape of permanent shadows and high points that receive sunlight for unusually long periods. Some ridges and crater rims can remain illuminated for more than 90 percent of the year, making them attractive sites for solar power.

The Power Tower is designed to take advantage of that geography. By raising solar arrays high above the lunar surface, the system can reach sunlight that may be blocked at ground level by surrounding terrain. The structure is designed to sit on the top deck of Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander. After landing, it deploys vertically and unfolds its solar arrays.

Blue Origin has already demonstrated a full deployment in an analogue lunar environment. Earlier demonstrations showed the deployed structure reaching about 26 metres in total height when mounted on the lander, while the company now describes the Power Tower itself as a 20-metre system. Blue Origin says its modular architecture could eventually allow multiple towers to work together, sending electricity beyond the lander to rovers, scientific instruments and other surface equipment farther from the landing site. Artist concepts released by the company show two lunar rovers charging at a tower and several working towers forming a grid across the lunar surface.

In a statement posted on September 25, Blue Origin said the Power Tower is a 20-metre-tall, vertically deployed solar array system designed to provide more than 10 kilowatts of power for Moon base operations at the lunar South Pole, with a modular architecture intended to support future expansion of the power network.

Blue Origin says the modular approach fits a shift in lunar exploration toward building infrastructure that can support repeated and longer missions rather than treating every Moon landing as an isolated visit. NASA identifies reliable surface power as essential for sustained lunar exploration, alongside communications, resource use and other infrastructure. For the Moon, the Power Tower is an attempt to solve one of the most basic requirements of living and working there, keeping the power running when Earth is hundreds of thousands of kilometres away.

The next step for the concept is expansion beyond a single tower. Blue Origin's stated goal is to let future systems build out the power network, potentially supplying rovers, scientific instruments and other equipment across the lunar surface.