Connect with us

SpaceX

SpaceX to submit Moon lander proposal for latest NASA spaceflight competition

SpaceX's Starship is seen here with engines ignited on a potential circumlunar voyage. (SpaceX)

Published

6 years ago

on

SpaceX reportedly plans to submit its own human-rated Moon lander design for NASA’s latest major request for proposal (RFP), part of the agency’s rough plan to return humans to the Moon no earlier than 2028.

Meant to begin delivering NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon as early as 2028, the agency hopes to base those lander operations on a thus far unbuilt space station orbiting the Moon with the support of its SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.

Meant to build directly off of SLS/Orion, a NASA-designed rocket and spacecraft beset with at least three years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, it’s unclear where SpaceX might fit into NASA’s latest modernized attempt at an Apollo Program 2.0. Alongside the 2017 cancellation of Crew Dragon’s propulsive landing program due in part to the likely cost of the certification burden NASA would have placed on the technology before allowing it to land astronauts, SpaceX also canceled Red Dragon (and thus Grey Dragon), a proposal to use a minimally modified version of Crew Dragon as an ad-hoc Mars lander and R&D testbed.

Aside from the likely cost of certifying propulsive Crew Dragon to NASA specifications, CEO Elon Musk also explained the program’s cancellation as a consequence of SpaceX’s far greater interest in what he described as “vastly bigger ship[s]” in July 2017. This translated into a presentation at IAC 2017 a few months later, where Musk revealed SpaceX’s updated design for a giant, fully-reusable launch vehicle meant to enable sustainable Mars colonization, known then as BFR. BFR has since been reconceptualized at least two more times, settling (at present) on a radical new approach said to rely heavily on stainless steel as a replacement for advanced carbon composites.

Advertisement

In the second half of 2018 and the first few months of 2019, the SpaceX CEO’s BFR (now Starship/Super Heavy) narrative has noticeably diverged from a largely exclusive focus on Mars to include a new interest (be it genuine or out of convenience) in the Moon. Most notably, Musk stated in January and February 2019 that SpaceX’s single-minded goal for BFR was now “to reach the moon as fast as possible”.  In response to a question about SpaceX’s intentions for the first few orbital BFR (Starship) launches, Musk also replied, “Moon first, Mars as soon as the planets align”.

This is likely explicitly connected to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa’s decision to purchase the first operational Starship (BFR) launch in support of his philanthropic #DearMoon project, meant to send 8-10 artists from across Earth on the first commercial voyage around the Moon as early as 2023. While no specific value was given, the implication of CEO Elon Musk’s emotional response when discussing the financial support pegged the number in the hundreds of millions of dollars, likely on the order of $250M to $500M. However, any astute bureaucrat or aerospace executive would also be (and have been) distinctly aware of a new political undercurrent pushing for the US and NASA to return humans to the Moon, circulating for the last few years before breaking through to the surface in the last six or so months.

 

Orion/SLS versus Starship/Super Heavy?

Per Musk’s frequent and insistent comments on just how hard he expects it to be for SpaceX to fully fund the development of BFR, it would come as no surprise to learn that SpaceX had set its eyes on potential sources of major BFR development funds. Where exactly NASA will find the multibillion-dollar sum likely required to develop even a commercial human-rated Moon lander is entirely unclear, but alas. Although NASA’s new Moon mission seems like an apt fit for SpaceX, funding aside, the problem remains that SpaceX’s next-generation Starship/Super Heavy (formerly BFR) launch vehicle poses a direct, existential threat to NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, an almost entirely expendable system likely to cost no less than $1B per launch and unlikely to launch for the first time until 2021.

NASA’s human return to the Moon is meant to directly complement SLS/Orion thanks to the intention of using a theoretical Moon-based space station (known as Gateway) in a bizarre lunar orbit (known as a  “Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit” or NRHO) as the base of lunar-landing operations. The decision to place said Gateway in a lunar halo orbit derives almost exclusively derives (PDF) from a separate decision to design NASA’s future exploration plans around SLS and Orion, particularly Orion in the context of the Moon. Put simply, Orion is relatively mass-inefficient and has a fairly limited amount of delta V (shorthand for the capacity to change one’s velocity), preventing far more useful orbits (i.e. actual lunar orbits). The fragile web of Gateway, SLS, Orion, and any potential crewed Moon landers is intentionally designed to be interdependent, meaning that each piece on its own makes little objective sense and has no obvious functional benefit relative to a bevy of alternatives.

Advertisement

 

As designed, SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy combo would be a nearly redundant and radically simpler solution to the mishmash of Gateway, SLS, Orion, and others. A return to using propulsive Crew Dragon landings as a method of significant payload delivery to the lunar surface is immensely unlikely. The value of an entirely new SpaceX-built craft is equally unclear, given Musk and SpaceX’s general stance on putting development funds towards things that bring the company closer to achieving its ultimate goal of sustainable interplanetary colonization. Regardless, it will undoubtedly be exciting to see what happens and whether SpaceX actually chooses to submit a proposal for one or all aspects of NASA’s baselined lunar lander.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes!

Related Topics:

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.

Advertisement
Comments

News

SpaceX to debut new Dragon capsule in Axiom Space launch

Ax-4’s launch marks the debut of SpaceX’s latest Crew Dragon and pushes Axiom closer to building its own space station.

Published

1 day ago

on

June 9, 2025

By

spacex-dragon-axiom-ax-4-mission-iss
(Credit: SpaceX)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission targets the International Space Station (ISS) with a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

The Axiom team will launch a new SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). The Ax-4 mission launch was initially set for Tuesday, June 10, but was delayed by one day due to expected high winds.

As Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to the ISS, Ax-4 marks the debut of an updated SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. “This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it’s carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We’ve upgraded storage, propulsion components, and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse,” said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability.

Axiom Space is a Houston-based private space infrastructure company. It has been launching private astronauts to the ISS for research and training since 2022, building expertise for its future station. With NASA planning to decommission the ISS by 2030, Axiom has laid the groundwork for the Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. The company has already begun construction on its ISS replacement.

Advertisement

The Ax-4 mission’s research, spanning biological, life, and material sciences and Earth observation, will support this ambitious goal. Contributions from 31 countries underscore the mission’s global scope. The four-person crew will launch from Launch Complex 39A, embarking on a 14-day mission to conduct approximately 60 scientific studies.

“The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor, and operational excellence,” said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space’s chief of mission services.

The Ax-4 mission highlights Axiom’s commitment to advancing commercial space exploration. By leveraging SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and conducting diverse scientific experiments, Axiom is paving the way for its Axiom Station. This mission not only strengthens international collaborations but also positions Axiom as a leader in the evolving landscape of private space infrastructure.

Continue Reading

SpaceX

SpaceX Dragon to carry Axiom’s Ax-4 crew for ISS research

On June 10, Axiom’s Ax-4 mission heads to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. It’s a historic return to space for India, Poland & Hungary.

Published

5 days ago

on

June 5, 2025

By

spacex-dragon-axiom-ax-4-mission-iss-research
(Credit: SpaceX)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission, launched on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, will carry a historic international crew to the International Space Station (ISS) next Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule was recently photographed preparing for the Ax-4 launch. The Dragon will dock at the ISS on June 11 at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET for a 14-day mission focused on groundbreaking microgravity research.

The Ax-4 crew will be led by Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States. It includes Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and the European Space Agency and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. This mission marks a historic return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary as each nation sends its first government-sponsored astronauts in over 40 years.

“With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage, and with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars,” Whitson noted.

Advertisement

The Ax-4 mission’s research portfolio will be Axiom’s most extensive. It includes 60 scientific studies from 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and Europe. These studies will advance knowledge in human research, Earth observation, life, and biological and material sciences. Key investigations include supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes, examining microgravity’s impact on the brain, and studying cancer growth, particularly triple-negative breast cancer. Additional research will explore blood stem cells, joint health, blood flow, and astronaut readiness using wearable devices, iPhone software, and AWS Snowcone analytics.

Axiom Space’s partnerships with research organizations and academic institutions aim to deepen understanding of spaceflight’s effects on the human body, with potential applications for Earth-based healthcare. The Ax-4 mission underscores Axiom’s role in redefining access to low-Earth orbit, fostering global collaboration, and advancing microgravity research. As SpaceX’s Dragon enables this historic mission, it reinforces the company’s pivotal role in commercial spaceflight and scientific discovery.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

SpaceX to decommission Dragon spacecraft in response to Pres. Trump war of words with Elon Musk

Elon Musk says SpaceX will decommission Dragon as a result of President Trump’s threat to end his subsidies and government contracts.

Published

6 days ago

on

June 5, 2025

By

SpaceX will decommission its Dragon spacecraft in response to the intense war of words that President Trump and CEO Elon Musk have entered on various social media platforms today.

President Trump and Musk, who was once considered a right-hand man to Trump, have entered a vicious war of words on Thursday. The issues stem from Musk’s disagreement with the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which will increase the U.S. federal deficit, the Tesla and SpaceX frontman says.

How Tesla could benefit from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that axes EV subsidies

The insults and threats have been brutal, as Trump has said he doesn’t know if he’ll respect Musk again, and Musk has even stated that the President would not have won the election in November if it were not for him.

President Trump then said later in the day that:

“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Government Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

Musk’s response was simple: he will decommission the SpaceX capsule responsible for transporting crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS): Dragon.

Dragon has completed 51 missions, 46 of which have been to the ISS. It is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth’s orbit. It is the only spacecraft that is capable of returning vast amounts of cargo to Earth. It is also the first private spacecraft to take humans to the ISS.

The most notable mission Dragon completed is one of its most recent, as SpaceX brought NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth after being stranded at the ISS by a Boeing Starliner capsule.

SpaceX’s reluctance to participate in federally funded projects may put the government in a strange position. It will look to bring Boeing back in to take a majority of these projects, but there might be some reluctance based on the Starliner mishap with Wilmore and Williams.

SpaceX bails out Boeing and employees are reportedly ‘humiliated’

Continue Reading

Trending