NASA is aiming to launch its highly anticipated Artemis III mission in mid-2027 at the earliest, landing humans on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
But SpaceX, the company tasked with providing the mission’s lunar lander, estimates that the earliest it’ll be ready will be September 2028, according to information in internal SpaceX documents seen by Politico.
SpaceX is planning to use a modified version of its Ship spacecraft, which forms the upper part of the in-development Starship rocket.
As SpaceX makes preparations for the 12th test flight of the Starship rocket following its first one in 2023, the vehicle still has to achieve some key milestones, such as its first orbital flight, and refueling in orbit. An uncrewed lunar landing will also need to be performed to demonstrate the Ship’s readiness to carry crew to the moon’s surface.
The Elon Musk-led spaceflight company has yet to present its adjusted timeline to NASA, Politico said, but it intends to do so next month.
In light of the work still to be done, it doesn’t come as a big surprise that Artemis III looks set to miss its mid-2027 target date, and Politico’s report appears to reveal for the first time that SpaceX is looking at a new timeline.
Indeed, NASA itself recently doubted whether SpaceX would be ready in time, with its acting chief Sean Duffy going so far as to suggest he would reopen contracts for the Artemis III lander in a bid to ensure the mission could go ahead in 2027.
“I love SpaceX, it’s an amazing company,” Duffy said at the time. “The problem is, they’re behind. They’ve pushed their timelines out, and we’re in a race against China.”
SpaceX will be desperate to retain the Artemis III lunar lander contract, but if given the green light, the mission may not take place until 2028. And even then, there’s no guarantee that that date will stick.
There’s currently no date set for the Starship’s 12th test flight, though early next year seems likely. SpaceX is currently completing the building of a new launch pad at its Starbase facility in southern Texas in preparation for the first launch of version three of the Starship, a slightly larger, more advanced rocket than its predecessor.
Once fully operational, the Starship is expected to be used to carry crew and cargo to the moon, with human missions to Mars also a distinct possibility.
