NASA safety experts doubt moon landing in 2027

The date for the first manned US moon landing since 1972, which has been postponed to 2027, is once again in doubt. The reason for this is delays in the development of the Human Landing System (HLS) and the necessary space suits. This has been pointed out by members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel of the US space agency NASA. In April 2021, NASA ordered the Starship HLS from SpaceX.

It is intended to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon's surface and back. Initially, two people will be transported as part of the Artemis III mission, then four people on Artemis IV. The system design calls for SpaceX to place a fueling station in Earth orbit. There, the HLS must refuel with fuel and oxygen before departing for the moon. However, this refueling process is anything but simple.

In August, three members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) visited SpaceX to assess the current situation. “The HLS schedule is in serious doubt and, in our estimation, could be years late for the Artemis 3 moon landing in 2027,” Space News quotes panel member Paul Hill as saying.

NASA has no alternatives

At a public meeting of the ASAP, he explained that fuel transfer in orbit poses a particular hurdle. Work on this has been affected by delays in the development of the third version of the Starship and changes to the third version of the Raptor engines. Hill did not reveal any details. From 2007 to 2014, he led NASA's mission operations for human spaceflight. Prior to that, he was flight director for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS).

At the same time, he emphasized that NASA has no alternative to SpaceX. Due to the tight schedule of rocket launches, especially for placing satellites in low Earth orbit, SpaceX has gained “unprecedented experience in spacecraft and engine manufacturing, launch preparation, and flight operations.” Therefore, there is no competitor, either public or private, that can offer comparable performance in manufacturing and flight speed, “with direct effects on increased reliability and cost reduction.” Although NASA has also ordered a lunar lander from Blue Origin, the order was not placed until May 2023 for the later Artemis V mission.

Space suits are missing

In addition to a suitable vehicle, astronauts also need suitable clothing: without space suits, they might be able to land, but they would not be able to get out. And NASA does not have any space suits. Panel member William Bray, a military strategist, raised the risk of delays.

Not only SpaceX's schedule for the HLS but also that of contractor Axiom Space for the development of new space suits is “aggressive.” “Any delay in the delivery of these projects jeopardizes the planned moon landing” at the targeted time in 2027, Bray emphasized.

Artemis II is on the agenda before Artemis III. A manned Orion space capsule is to orbit the moon. The four astronauts for this mission have already been selected. The planned launch date in November 2024 has passed, but perhaps it will work out next year. It would be the first manned launch of the giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

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