SpaceX Simplifies Lunar Lander Amid Concerns
Instead of responding to doubts about its Human Landing System (HLS) project with heated remarks, SpaceX has chosen a more productive route. Rather than insisting that the HLS project, which is centered around the upper stage of SpaceX’s colossal yet-to-be-completed Starship rocket, is faultless, they have revealed that they are now developing a "streamlined" version of the lander.
Updates from SpaceX
A recent detailed report from SpaceX has provided insight into their progress. The report, which spans almost 2,000 words, outlines updates on the Starship, which carried out its 11th test flight in October. The report also covers details about the HLS components, including its life-support system, airlock, communications equipment, and the elevator designed to transport astronauts and their gear from the top of the towering HLS vehicle to the lunar surface.
The report also predicts a 2026 test for the orbital refueling that is integral for the HLS concept to function. The upper stage of the Starship achieves orbit with its tanks largely empty, necessitating multiple refills from other Starships.
The NASA Contract
NASA was aware of this complexity when they awarded SpaceX a contract, initially valued at $2.89 billion and later revised to $4 billion, to develop the HLS to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back. Astronauts would travel from Earth in NASA's own Orion capsule, launched on the top of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, and then return to Earth in the same smaller spacecraft.
However, the slow progress of SpaceX, both compared to the company's earlier predictions and China's advancement towards a crewed lunar landing by 2030, led to the announcement that NASA was reopening the contract to build a lander for Artemis III. This mission is expected to mark the first time American astronauts land on the Moon since December 1972. The timeline for this mission, however, has been pushed back to 2028.
Alternatives to SpaceX
There has been mention of considering Blue Origin as a potential alternative. Blue Origin already holds a $3.4 billion NASA contract, awarded in 2023, to develop its larger Blue Moon Mark 2 lander for Artemis V and subsequent landings. Both versions of Blue Moon would launch on Blue's New Glenn heavy-lift rocket, which had a successful orbital debut in January and is now nearing a second launch. However, the Mark 2 would require its own refueling in space, unlike the Mark 1.
SpaceX's Response
Despite the challenges, SpaceX continues to believe that their Starship is "the fastest path to returning humans to the surface of the Moon and a core enabler of the Artemis program's goal to establish a permanent, sustainable presence on the lunar surface." The company has acknowledged that they have heeded NASA's instructions, stating, "Since the contract was awarded, we have been consistently responsive to NASA as requirements for Artemis III have changed and have shared ideas on how to simplify the mission to align with national priorities."
They further added, "In response to the latest calls, we’ve shared and are formally assessing a simplified mission architecture and concept of operations that we believe will result in a faster return to the Moon while simultaneously improving crew safety."
Looking Ahead
NASA has now received revised proposals from both SpaceX and Blue Origin. An evaluation committee of NASA subject matter experts will assess each proposal and determine the best course of action to triumph in the second space race, given the urgency of adversarial threats to peace and transparency on the Moon.