NASA reveals details of crewed lunar mission partnership with SpaceX

'This critical step keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars'

NASA formally announced the signing of a contract with SpaceX to send humans back to the Moon today.

An artist’s impression of SpaceX’s Starship on the Moon. Starship is currently in testing; the first uncrewed orbital flight is expected later this year. Image credit: SpaceX

The firm-fixed price, milestone-based contract is worth $2.89 billion, and provides a major boost to SpaceX, who have under the aegis of founder and CEO Elon Musk revolutionized the space industry with the pioneering of reusable rocket technology since the company’s inception in 2002.

The mission architecture would involve the launching of four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. After reaching low Earth orbit, the Orion would rendezvous with a SpaceX Starship - the enormous bullet-shaped spacecraft currently undergoing testing at SpaceX’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas - that would then take the crew to the Moon. An alternative architecture would see the astronauts heading to the Gateway, a small space station in lunar orbit currently in the planning stages, before transferring to the Starship.

NASA’s procurement of SpaceX’s services is also fuelling speculation that the agency’s Artemis program, which has the goal of returning humans to the Moon, may be able to stay on track to accomplish that goal in 2024.

‘This is an exciting time for NASA and especially the Artemis team,’ noted Lisa Watson-Morgan, program manager for HLS at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. ‘By taking a collaborative approach in working with industry while leveraging NASA’s proven technical expertise and capabilities, we will return American astronauts to the Moon’s surface once again, this time to explore new areas for longer periods of time.’

Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate, added: ‘This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.’

The first uncrewed orbital test of the SpaceX Starship is expected towards the end of the year.