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SpaceX Dragon XL could double as a crew cabin for lunar space station

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4 years ago

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A recent modification to SpaceX’s Dragon XL lunar cargo resupply contract with NASA suggests that the spacecraft could be used as an extra crew cabin and bathroom at a lunar space station known as Gateway.

The contract modification was made around April 1st of this year and provided SpaceX around $121,000 to complete the latest study on the potential utility of its expendable Dragon XL spacecraft beyond the primary goal of resupplying a space station orbiting the Moon. Designed to deliver at least five metric tons (~11,000 lb) of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to Gateway, Dragon XL will launch on SpaceX’s own Falcon Heavy rocket – currently the only super heavy-lift launch vehicle in operation – and meant to heavily borrow from hardware and systems already developed for Crew and Cargo Dragon.

NASA first announced its selection of SpaceX for the Gateway Logistics Services (GLS) contract back in March 2020. More than a year later, very little has been said (or visibly done) to progress from that announcement to a true contract – an unusually long period of inactivity for such a significant program.

Dragon XL contract supplemental agreement: crew compartment and waste management study
byu/cohberg inspacex

Of note, as recently as April 2021, NASA officials made it clear that they were still in the cryptic process of “reviewing” the Artemis program, leading to such a long delay between the GLS award announcement and finalization of an actual contract with SpaceX. Of note, back when it was announced, NASA’s nominal plan was to begin Dragon XL cargo deliveries as early as 2024 to support the Artemis Program’s first crewed Moon landing attempt.

Since then, however, other crucial aspects – namely the concept of operations and Human Lander System (HLS) meant to carry astronauts to and from the Moon – have evolved significantly. Weeks after NASA’s GLS announcement, the space agency awarded approximately $1 billion to three prospective HLS providers – SpaceX, Dynetics, and a team led by Blue Origin. A little over a year later, NASA announced a shocking decision to award that initial HLS Moon landing demonstration contract to SpaceX and SpaceX alone.

SpaceX’s Starship to return humanity to the Moon in stunning NASA decision

More or less simultaneously, NASA it made it clear that it was seriously studying the possibility of performing Artemis-3 – the first crewed Moon landing attempt in half a century – without Gateway. Along those lines, the SLS-launched Orion spacecraft and HLS lander (a custom variant of SpaceX’s Starship) would dock directly in lunar orbit instead of separately docking to Gateway to transfer crew. NASA’s decision to solely select Starship as its future Moon lander was so surprising in large part because of how starkly the vehicle’s potential capabilities contrast with the rest of the Artemis Program.

As many have already noted, the very existence of a Starship with capabilities close to what SpaceX is working towards – now a practical inevitability for the company to complete its HLS contract – brings into question the architecture NASA has proposed for Artemis. Currently, the nominal plan is to launch astronauts into an exotic high lunar orbit with NASA’s own SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft – an inconvenient orbit only needed to make up for said spacecraft’s shortcomings. Prior to recent developments, Orion would then dock with Gateway. The HLS vehicle would follow and crew would eventually transfer to the lander, which would then carry 2+ astronauts to and from the surface of the Moon and re-dock with Gateway, followed by Orion returning those astronauts to Earth.

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Given that Starship offers enough pressurized volume to rival even the vast International Space Station (ISS) in a single launch, the entire concept of Gateway – an almost inhumanely tiny space station – becomes dubious. If Orion also doesn’t need Gateway to transfer its astronauts to the lander, which NASA has all but confirmed, it’s difficult to see what value Gateway could offer outside of a very expensive technology demonstration. Including a planned Falcon Heavy launch of the first two Gateway segments, station production, and the possible need for expensive Dragon XL cargo deliveries, Gateway could easily end up costing NASA $4-5 billion before it hosts a single astronaut.

NASA is already deeply concerned about the apparent likelihood of Congress systematically underfunding the HLS and Artemis programs outside of SLS and Orion, going as far as selecting just a single HLS provider after clearly indicating a desire for redundancy given enough funding. NASA’s HLS contract with SpaceX is expected to cost around $2.9 billion. The next cheapest option – Blue Origin’s proposal – would reportedly cost around $6 billion. In other words, if NASA were able to stop work and Gateway and redirect that funding elsewhere, it could almost already afford two HLS providers without a larger budget.

Given that NASA has selected SpaceX for HLS and GLS, it’s not impossible to imagine that the space agency is growing increasingly aware that Gateway and Dragon XL look more than a little redundant beside the Starship vehicle NASA itself is now funding SpaceX to realize. For now, though, work on all three programs continue. Most recently, NASA and SpaceX are studying the possibility of adding a toilet and using Dragon XL as an extra crew cabin and bathroom to augment the tiny habitable volume of Gateway’s lone habitat. Only time will tell where the cards ultimately fall.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk slams Bloomberg’s shocking xAI cash burn claims

Musk stated that “Bloomberg is talking nonsense.”

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7 minutes ago

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June 18, 2025

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Credit: xAI/X

Elon Musk has forcefully rejected Bloomberg News’ claims that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is hemorrhaging $1 billion monthly. 

In a post on X, Musk stated that “Bloomberg is talking nonsense.” He also acknowledged an X user’s comment that people “really have no idea what’s at stake” with AI.

Bloomberg‘s Allegations and Musk’s Rebuttal

The Bloomberg News report painted a dire picture of xAI’s finances. Citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, the news outlet claimed that xAI burns $1 billion a month as costs for building advanced AI models outpaced the company’s limited revenues. 

Bloomberg alleged that xAI is planning to spend over half of a proposed $9.3 billion fundraising haul in three months, with a projected $13 billion loss in 2025. The report also claimed that of the $14 billion that xAI has raised since 2023, only $4 billion remained by Q1 2025. Even this amount, the news outlet alleged, will be nearly depleted in Q2.

xAI did not comment on Bloomberg‘s claims, though Elon Musk shared his thoughts on the matter on social media platform X. In response to an X user who quoted the publication’s article, Musk noted that “Bloomberg is talking nonsense.” Musk, however, did not provide further details as to why the publication’s report was fallacious.

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xAI’s Bright Horizon

Despite Bloomberg‘s claims, even the publication noted that xAI’s prospects are promising. The company, now merged with X, aims to leverage the platform’s vast data archives for model training, which could reduce costs compared to rivals like OpenAI. Tapping into X also allows xAI to access real-time information from users across the globe. 

xAI’s valuation reportedly soared to $80 billion by Q1 2025, up from $51 billion in 2024. The AI startup has attracted heavyweight investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and VY Capital so far, and optimistic projections point to profitability possibly being attained by 2027. This would be quite a feat for xAI as OpenAI, the AI startup’s biggest rival, is still looking at 2029 as the year it could become cash flow positive.

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Elon Musk

xAI supercomputer faces lawsuit over air pollution concerns

NAACP & environmental groups are suing Elon Musk’s xAI over turbine emissions at its Colossus supercomputer site.

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2 hours ago

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June 18, 2025

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xAI-supercomputer-memphis-environment-pushback
(Credit: xAI)

The xAI supercomputer, Colossus, faces a potential lawsuit from the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center over pollution concerns tied to its gas-powered turbines. The facility has sparked debate over its environmental impact versus economic benefits.

The xAI data center has been operational since last year. The company used pollution-emitting turbines without an air permit, citing a 364-day exemption. Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Patrick Anderson disputed xAI’s exemption, stating: “there is no such exemption for turbines — and that regardless, it has now been more than 364 days.”

The groups issued a 60-day notice of intent to sue under the Clean Air Act, challenging xAI’s permit application under review by the Shelby County Health Department.

According to AP, critics argue the turbines emit smog, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde, worsening health risks in an area with cancer rates four times the national average.

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“The permit itself says emissions from the site ‘will be an area source for hazardous air pollutants,’” the Southern Environmental Law Center noted, alleging Clean Air Act violations.

Opponents claim xAI installed up to 35 turbines—exceeding the 15 requested—without community oversight, straining Memphis’s power grid.

xAI responded: “The temporary power generation units are operating in compliance with all applicable laws.”

The company highlighted its economic contributions, including billions in investments, millions in taxes, and hundreds of jobs. At an April community meeting, xAI’s Brent Mayo underscored that the “tax revenue will support vital programs like public safety, health, human services, education, firefighters, police, parks, and so much more.” He projected that xAI would generate over $100 million in tax revenue by next year. The company is also investing $35 million in a power substation and $80 million in a water recycling plant.

Additionally, xAI is transitioning to sustainable power, particularly Tesla Megapacks. It is actively working on demobilizing the gas turbines.

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“The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the [xAI’s] Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months,” shared the Greater Memphis Chamber. xAI brought Tesla Megapack batteries and a 150-megawatt substation online earlier this year.

Despite xAI’s expansion to a second 1-million-square-foot site, the lawsuit threat underscores tensions between innovation and environmental justice.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk hits back at drug use claims, calls publications ‘hypocrites’

Elon Musk showed a clean drug test, dispelling any rumors of drug use that came from unfounded reports from two large media outlets.

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16 hours ago

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June 17, 2025

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Credit: Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to a report from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as both publications claimed he was abusing drugs while being involved with President Trump on both the campaign trail and while he was active within the administration after the election.

A bombshell report from the New York Times, published in late May, stated that Musk was regularly using things like ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms, and also stimulants like Adderall, during his time within the Trump administration.

The reports cited inside sources who claimed the Tesla and SpaceX frontman was using substances during his time with the government.

However, Musk published the results of a recent drug test performed at Fastest Labs of South Austin. They showed ‘Negative’ results across the board:

Musk was not done there.

He went on to say the New York Times “lies as easy as breathing. It’s normal for them.” He also said both the Times and Wall Street Journal reporters should also publish their own drug test results, stating, “They won’t, because those hypocrites are guilty as sin.”

Musk said years ago that he received ketamine prescriptions from doctors to treat depression. He said he had it “years ago and said so on X, so this is not even news.” He also said that ketamine “helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.”

Tesla fans and Musk enthusiasts have joked for days now that, if Musk were to be on drugs, other CEOs should also do them, considering his persistence on work-related projects, long hours, and commitment to his job.

Musk has now proven that there has been no drug use with this test, and it seems as if the reports could have some sort of legal impact, although he has not said he will take any action.

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