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    SpaceX looking into 'simplified' Starship Artemis 3 mission to get astronauts to the moon faster
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    SpaceX looking into ‘simplified’ Starship Artemis 3 mission to get astronauts to the moon faster


    SpaceX looking into ‘simplified’ Starship Artemis 3 mission to get astronauts to the moon faster

    https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/spacex-looking-into-simplified-starship-artemis-3-mission-to-get-astronauts-to-the-moon-faster

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    7 Comments

    1. The_Celestrial on

      Lmao Baby Starship landing on the moon is going to be funny. But, I don’t really think it’s gonna happen.

    2. dern_the_hermit on

      I’ve long suspected that SpaceX might eventually give in and do something like creating a 3rd stage or a truncated 2nd stage, or even just something as simple as a kick module. Hauling around all of a Starship is a lot of mass.

      This probably isn’t that elaborate, though. They might just be planning a smaller pressurized interior volume than a whole upper stage might potentially offer, or the like. Minimal external modification, almost all internal. Total speculation tho, so don’t read too much into it.

    3. hypercomms2001 on

      Ha, Ha, Ha…. Not going to happen…

      ….and I am reminded of this from Robert Zubrin…

      “My take on [#Artemis](https://x.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hashtag_click) landers.
      Blue-LM: LOx/H2 enables ISRU++ three stages- -. [#NASA](https://x.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hashtag_click)’s choice.
      Dynetics: Smart Configuration ++, Hypergols disables ISRU – -.
      [#SpaceX](https://x.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hashtag_click)- Great one-way heavy lander, but requires 20,000 lbf to land, could dig crater unless pad prepared in advance.

      [10:35 PM · May 2, 2020](https://x.com/robert_zubrin/status/1256562876279451648)”

      [https://x.com/robert_zubrin/status/1256562876279451648](https://x.com/robert_zubrin/status/1256562876279451648)

      Still very true even now…

    4. dgkimpton on

      Reads to me like they are assessing a SpaceX only mission that cuts out SLS/Orion in favour of a direct to moon Starship flight.

      This would be safer (no Orion transfer), faster (no multi-craft docking steps), cheaper (no SLS), and potentially get there quicker by narrowing the development focus. 

    7. YsoL8 on

      What is this obsession with speed when the thing that actually matters long term is carry capacity and frequency?