Lunar Exploration Vehicles in the U.S. Threatened by Flames, Massive Forces, and Fuel Shifts

The race to develop lunar landers for NASA's Artemis III mission is heating up, with SpaceX and Blue Origin leading the charge. The two private companies are working tirelessly to improve the transportation and safe landing of astronauts on the Moon.

SpaceX is focusing on the Starship-Landefähre, a lunar lander designed to transport astronauts from the Orion capsule to the Moon's surface. The company's lunar orbit checkout review for the Starship system's mission readiness is scheduled for 2028. However, concerns have been raised about SpaceX's training facilities being inadequate for training astronauts to manually control the Starship in emergency scenarios.

Blue Origin, on the other hand, is working on its Blue Moon-Lander, intended for future Artemis missions. The company expects to pass a critical design review for its lander this year. However, the GAO has identified an issue with Blue Origin's lunar lander design: it did not meet NASA's propellant and mass requirements. This could potentially delay the Artemis III mission, as NASA fears that this propellant management issue could further complicate matters. It's unclear if Blue Origin has resolved this issue with its lunar lander design.

The GAO has also identified risks with both the Blue Origin and SpaceX landers due to "inadequate controls for flammable materials." Testing is ongoing to understand and mitigate these issues.

The US lunar return is dependent on SpaceX and Blue Origin's development of lunar landers for the Orion spacecraft. The administration and Congress both want to see the Artemis III mission deliver humans to the Moon in 2027. The Artemis III mission, which depends on the HLS Starship for lunar landings, is scheduled for 2027.

A major risk for the Starship program is maturing propellant management technologies for on-orbit storage and transfer of propellant, with tests planned for 2026. The preliminary design review and critical design review for the Starship system are both scheduled for 2025, but seem unlikely now.

The GAO's recent report on NASA's major projects highlighted these issues, as well as the fact that most NASA programs have avoided cost overruns, but those that haven't are largely part of the Artemis program. Artemis overruns alone have reached $7B, just under the $8.1B in overruns for everything else at the agency.

Despite these challenges, both SpaceX and Blue Origin are pushing forward with their lunar lander projects. Blue Origin plans to launch a cargo-scale lunar lander, Blue Moon Mark 1, later this year or in early 2026.

One potential issue is the combination of oxygen and pressure levels could lead to a fire, similar to the Apollo 1 tragedy. NASA and the companies involved are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the astronauts and the success of the mission.

As the world watches, the race to develop lunar landers for the Artemis III mission continues, with SpaceX and Blue Origin at the forefront. The success of these missions could mark a new era in space exploration and humanity's return to the Moon.

Lunar Exploration Vehicles in the U.S. Threatened by Flames, Massive Forces, and Fuel Shifts