WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A recent report from the NASA Office of Inspector General has raised concerns about potential delays in SpaceX's plans to land astronauts on the moon under the agency's Artemis program. The audit highlighted technical challenges and development delays that could impact the target timeline.
The report states that SpaceX's Starship lunar lander has already experienced at least two years of delays since being selected in 2021 as the primary human landing system for NASA's Artemis missions. The first crewed landing target has been repeatedly pushed back from the initial 2024 estimate to 2026, 2027, and now 2028.
One of the key technical hurdles identified is the requirement for orbital refueling, which involves launching more than 11 Starship vehicles into Earth's orbit to transfer cryogenic methane and oxygen fuel to the moon-bound spacecraft.
This large-scale refueling operation in orbit has never been attempted before, presenting significant engineering challenges.
The audit also flagged delays with Blue Origin's Blue Moon system, which is reportedly running at least eight months behind schedule.
In response, NASA has recently restructured its Artemis mission plan, shifting the first crewed lunar landing to the Artemis IV mission, now targeted for 2028. Officials emphasize the importance of maintaining this timeline as the United States competes with China, which is aiming to land astronauts on the moon around 2030.
The report suggested that continued delays could narrow the timeline between U.S. and Chinese lunar missions, potentially intensifying the global race to return humans to the moon.
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