NASA's rewriting its moon mission and SpaceX is potentially getting a much bigger role. Here's what's new. Instead of Boeing's space launch system rocket doing the heavy lifting to the moon, SpaceX's Starship would take over a key part of that job.Under the revised plan, Orion launches on SLS to low Earth orbit, then docks with Starship in orbit. Then Starship pushes Orion, carrying the crew, to lunar orbit. Once there, astronauts transfer into Starship, which takes them down to the surface.That's a major s ...

NASA's rewriting its moon mission and SpaceX is potentially getting a much bigger role. Here's what's new. Instead of Boeing's space launch system rocket doing the heavy lifting to the moon, SpaceX's Starship would take over a key part of that job.Under the revised plan, Orion launches on SLS to low Earth orbit, then docks with Starship in orbit. Then Starship pushes Orion, carrying the crew, to lunar orbit. Once there, astronauts transfer into Starship, which takes them down to the surface.That's a major s ...

NASA's rewriting its moon mission and SpaceX is potentially getting a much bigger role. Here's what's new. Instead of Boeing's space launch system rocket doing the heavy lifting to the moon, SpaceX's Starship would take over a key part of that job.Under the revised plan, Orion launches on SLS to low Earth orbit, then docks with Starship in orbit. Then Starship pushes Orion, carrying the crew, to lunar orbit. Once there, astronauts transfer into Starship, which takes them down to the surface.That's a major s ...

You are looking live at the Aremis 2 space launch system rocket and Orion spacecraft in the vehicle assembly building. Today we are joined by agency leadership to discuss the Artemis 2 mission and the next steps for the entire Artemis campaign. Good morning and welcome to NASA's Kennedy Space Center.I'm George Alderman, NASA's deputy press secretary and I'll be moderating today's news conference. I'm joined by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, Associate Administrator Amit Shria, and Moon to Mars program ma ...

Core Viewpoint - The current U.S. lunar program, particularly the Artemis plan, faces significant engineering challenges, as highlighted by former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who warns that the program is accelerating in a direction that may be increasingly difficult to correct [1][9][21] Group 1: Engineering Challenges - Griffin, a key figure in the U.S. lunar program, asserts that the existing lunar plan is not feasible from an engineering perspective, indicating a systemic issue within the program [1][9] - The Artemis program is criticized for its complexity and the accumulation of new engineering nodes without adequate risk assessment, leading to a potential engineering inflation process [12][14][17] Group 2: Historical Context - The article contrasts the current Artemis plan with the earlier Constellation program, which was designed to separate crewed and cargo missions, thereby reducing complexity [6][8] - The Constellation program was halted due to political shifts, but its engineering logic is echoed in China's current lunar plans, suggesting a convergence in approaches to complex engineering problems [8][9] Group 3: Political and Commercial Dynamics - The integration of commercial spaceflight into the Artemis program is seen as a potential cost-saving measure, but the challenge lies in embedding commercial capabilities within a politically charged and complex lunar mission framework [11][12] - The upcoming appointment of Jared Isaacman as NASA's new administrator introduces a variable that may lead to a reassessment of the Artemis plan, although systemic constraints may limit significant changes [20][21]