Science1 hOctober 23, 2026, 04:52

NASA safety panel estimates 22 Starship launches needed for Moon landing

NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel member Charlie Precourt said about 22 Starship flights would be needed to refuel the lunar lander in orbit. Elon Musk disputed the figure, saying the real number will be 6 to 8. NASA still targets a human lunar landing in 2028.

Ars Technica

Open source

NASA safety panel estimates 22 Starship launches needed for Moon landing

NASA safety panel cited an estimate of 22 Starship launches for orbital refueling
Musk said the actual number will be closer to 6–8
In 2023 NASA said the figure was in the high single to low double digits
Even at twice-weekly launches, fueling a depot would take about three months

#NASA#SpaceX#Starship#Artemis

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