Do we know how many Starship launches SpaceX will need to get NASA astronauts to the moon? No. Will its refuelling plan be simple? Also no.

NASA's Artemis IV moon mission will be a complicated affair — especially if SpaceX's Starship ends up being the lunar lander. For all of the changing components of the Artemis program over the past several years, one of its most persistent may be the question of how many refueling flights Starship will need to land astronauts on the moon . By summer 2021, it

The top 3

  1. Refueling Launch Estimates: Estimates for the number of refueling launches required vary significantly between regulatory bodies and the manufacturer. While a historical GAO audit suggested as many as 16 launches, recent advisory panel estimates reached up to 22, contrasted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's projection of 6 to 8.
  2. Staggered Orbital Refueling Strategy: The Artemis IV mission utilizes a complex staging process where Starship first fills at a depot in low Earth orbit (LEO), then relocates to a 'final tanking orbit' (FTO) for a second refueling. NASA asserts this approach increases operational flexibility for the SLS launch window and reduces overall propellant requirements by allowing Starship to transport the Orion capsule directly to a lower lunar orbit.

Sources

Open the full topic