NASA study reveals rare information about SpaceX's Starship and Moon landing

Image Credit: tweaktown

The plans for NASA's Artemis III mission and a fresh launch window for SpaceX's Starship rocket were recently described in a new NASA report.

NASA still has long road ahead to go before returning Americans to the Moon, with the first Artemis mission named Artemis 1 which is set to launch on September 27.

Before Americans can set foot on the lunar surface again as part of NASA's Artemis 3 mission, Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 must be successfully completed. Unfortunately, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launch was postponed due to a fuel leak that could not be repaired before the launch window closed. The first Artemis mission will effectively be a reconnaissance mission for the space agency, as current plans call for the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule to travel around the Moon and back to Earth.

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The Orion capsule and the sensor-equipped mannequins inside will collect important information about their status along the route and communicate it to NASA headquarters. The data collected during the Artemis 1 mission will be the foundation for future Artemis missions, according to NASA. A recent study paper published on NASA's technical report server has revealed some information concerning Artemis III, the mission that will include a soft landing on the Moon.

According to the report, American astronauts will pilot the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft to the lunar surface. However, before launching the SLS rocket, SpaceX must first launch its propellant depot into orbit, which will be replenished by tanker Starships. After refueling, SpaceX will launch its lunar Starship model, which will then continue its mission after refueling at the orbital depot.

Image Credit: Tweaktown

The NASA study also highlights SpaceX's efforts in developing the Starship rocket, saying that Elon Musk's business successfully completed a suborbital flight and landing in May 2021 and that the company is presently planning its first orbital test flight, which will take place "in the next year."

It should be noted that Elon Musk established his own individual goals for 2022, one of which was to launch Starship into orbit by that year. It's unclear whether NASA is referring to SpaceX's first orbital test flight or a future mission planned for 2023.