Development delays with SpaceX Starship could threaten the timeline for returning astronauts to the Moon, according to a report from the inspector general of NASA. The rocket, selected in 2021 as the lunar lander for the Artemis program, has already accumulated at least two years of delays.
One of the biggest challenges is Starship’s planned in-space refuelling system, which would require launching more than 11 additional Starships into orbit to transfer fuel before the lander continues toward the Moon. The process would involve docking spacecraft and transferring large amounts of super-cooled propellant in orbit, something never attempted on such a scale.
The delays could push back the timeline for the Artemis missions, which aim to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade. NASA is also working with other companies, including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, as part of its effort to establish regular human missions to the lunar surface.
As the report states:
“NASA officials overseeing SpaceX’s Starship development consider demonstrating cryogenic propellant transfer to be one of the most significant technical challenges facing. NASA is tracking a top risk that some of the cryogenic technologies and capabilities SpaceX is developing will not be adequately mature ahead of a 2028 moon landing.”
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