NASA says Blue Origin remains its “plan A” for a future mission connected to returning astronauts to the Moon, despite an explosion involving one of the company’s rockets in May. Multiple outlets report that NASA made the assessment following the setback, stating that Blue Origin has continued work and has made “great progress” since the incident. NASA’s position is presented as a continuation of its current plan for the next phase of its Moon return efforts, even as the May failure prompted concern and review. The reports attribute praise to NASA leadership for the company’s progress, while reiterating that the May explosion did not change NASA’s stated preference for Blue Origin at this stage. The coverage consistently notes that the company is founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos. Overall, the articles describe NASA’s decision as based on updated progress since the explosion rather than on a switch to alternative contractors or approaches.