by NASA’s plan to return people to the moon could be attributed to years after years due to delays at SpaceX’s Starship Rocket. Industry experts warned.
Security consultants of the US world space agency said that the basic challenges in the Human Landing System (HLS) of the Starship remain, which should support Artemis 3 mission in 2027.
The mission was originally planned for December 2025, but had to be pushed back with Starship tests after setbacks.
After members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel visited SpaceX Starbase Facility in Texas last month last month, said that there would probably be further delays due to problems with the refueling of the spacecraft by orbital.
The Starships HLs must be able to carry out something as a cryogenic grass transfer in the Low -Earth orbit in order to complete the moon mission. However, SpaceX still has to show that such a refueling is possible.
“The HLS time plan is considerably questioned and, in our assessment, could be too late for an Artemis 3 moon landing from 2027,” said the discussion participant Paul Hill, a former director of mission operations at NASA.
“In the next six months of the Starship start, the likelihood of HLS -Flying crew will be told in 2027 or until the end of the decade.”
In 2021 SpaceX secured a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA to build a spacecraft that can land on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The company of Elon Musk has carried out several Starship flight tests since then, but progress has been atrophied by explosions and technical failures.
SpaceX ‘Mega Rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase, Texas, on August 26, 2025 (AP)
At the beginning of this month, former NASA boss Jim Bridensine said that problems with Mr. Musks Starship rocket mean that the United States falls behind China in the last space race.
“Our complicated architecture requires a dozen or more starts in a short time, is based on very challenging technologies that do not yet have to be developed like cryogenic in-space refueling and still has to be rated by humans,” he told the Senate Committee for Trade, Science and Transport.
“If something does not change, it is highly unlikely that the United States will hit China’s projected timeline on the surface of the moon.”
