SpaceX Starship Will Need To Re-Fuel 22 Times In Space To Make It To The Moon

Key Points:

• NASA aims to return astronauts to the Moon's surface by 2028 but faces challenges in developing a lunar lander to transfer astronauts from the Orion capsule to the Moon.
• SpaceX's original plan involves using its Starship rocket, which requires an unprecedented 22 in-orbit refuelings to reach the lunar surface, a process never attempted before and scheduled for a first test in early 2027.
• Elon Musk estimates the refueling number could be between 6 to 8, but the success of this complex, untested orbital refueling technology and an ambitious launch cadence are critical to meeting NASA's timeline.
• Blue Origin proposes a simpler alternative with just four launches using its New Glenn rocket to assemble a lunar lander in orbit, avoiding the need for in-orbit refueling.
• Astronauts will travel aboard NASA's Space Launch System and Orion capsule, which will dock with whichever lunar lander wins the contract, highlighting the high-risk, unprecedented nature of NASA's accelerated Moon mission timeline.