New Images Show How NASA and SpaceX Plan to Land Astronauts on the Moon in 2026

More than 55 years aft the Apollo Moon landing, NASA is returning astronauts to the Moon, but it’s going to look a batch antithetic this clip around. The abstraction bureau is moving with its commercialized spouse SpaceX to make a peculiar mentation of the company’s Starship rocket, susceptible of transporting astronauts to the lunar surface.

NASA precocious shared creator renderings of its upcoming Artemis 3 mission, presently scheduled for motorboat successful September 2026. The ngo aims to usage SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to transportation 2 astronauts from lunar orbit to the aboveground of the Moon and back, rendezvousing with the Orion spacecraft to prime up the Artemis unit and safely dropping them disconnected connected the lunar surface.

An illustration of a Starship tanker transferring propellant to Starship HLS. Credit: SpaceX

Before it reaches lunar orbit, Starship HLS volition request to refuel. The program is to usage a Starship tanker, loaded with propellant and awaiting the accomplishment of its lander counterpart. The 2 spacecraft are designed to conscionable each different successful debased Earth orbit, docking with 1 different portion the tanker transfers propellant to Starship HLS to let it to proceed connected its travel toward the Moon.

SpaceX precocious revealed that it whitethorn beryllium ready to trial the daring maneuver successful debased Earth orbit by aboriginal adjacent year, perchance scheduling an in-flight propellant trial betwixt 2 Starship vehicles successful March 2025.

An illustration of an Orion spacecraft docking with Starship. Credit: SpaceX

A afloat fueled Starship volition caput to lunar orbit, wherever it volition await the accomplishment of the Orion unit capsule with 4 astronauts connected board. Starship HLS volition dock straight to Orion truthful that 2 astronauts tin transportation to the lunar lander, portion the remainder of the unit waits aboard Orion successful lunar orbit.

An illustration of Starship performing a breaking pain up of its lunar landing. Credit: SpaceX

With a unit of 2 astronauts connected board, Starship volition depart debased lunar orbit. The conveyance volition performing a breaking pain utilizing 2 of its Raptor engines to descend to the dusty aboveground of the Moon.

There they go! Credit: SpaceX

Two astronauts volition descend to the aboveground of the Moon, riding connected Starship’s elevator located astatine the bottommost of the Human Landing System. Starship HLS is astir the aforesaid tallness arsenic a 15-story building, lasting astatine astir 164 feet (50 meters) tall. The elevator volition besides beryllium utilized to transport cargo betwixt the lunar aboveground and the lander arsenic the 2 astronauts enactment to cod precious samples.

Before it lands astronauts connected the Moon, however, SpaceX volition execute an uncrewed lunar landing utilizing its Starship vehicle. Starship is presently inactive nether development, with the rocket having precocious completed its sixth trial flight that ended with its booster plunging successful the ocean.

NASA is besides moving with SpaceX to further make Starship HLS for the Artemis 4 mission, which is scheduled for motorboat successful September 2028. For its updated version, Starship needs to beryllium capable to transportation much wide to the aboveground of the Moon, arsenic good arsenic dock with NASA’s lunar abstraction station, Gateway, successful lunar orbit.

The illustrations overgarment a beauteous picture, but lone clip volition archer if SpaceX and NASA volition conscionable their ambitious timelines. The Starship rocket has been moving person to regular orbital flights, but the Human Landing System is simply a full different shot game.