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Hi everybody and welcome back to
the Elon Musk podcast. 

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Today we have an especially 
pertinent topic as NASA moves 

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into the next phase of its 
Artemis program, planning to put

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the first humans back on the 
moon since the legendary Apollo 

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missions in the 60s and 70s. 
And we'll be discussing how 

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Spacex's Starship program is 
becoming increasingly crucial 

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for NASA's lunar plants. 
Will unpack NASA's recent press 

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conference with the Artemis 2 
Astronauts and dig into the 

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challenges and milestones for 
the Artemis program and explore 

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the pivotal roles the SpaceX and
it's Starship spacecraft play in

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this monumental endeavor. 
But before we dive into the meat

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and potatoes of this episode, 
I'm going to tell you the show 

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NASA held an in person press 

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conference with the astronauts 
for the Artemis 2 mission which 

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aims to launch in November of 
2024, and the conference 

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provided A plethora of updates 
on the missions, objectives, 

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timelines and interestingly, the
integration of Spacex's Starship

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as a key component in future 
lunar missions such as the 

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Artemis 3 mission. 
Now. 

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NASA's administrator, Bill 
Nelson underscored the 

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importance of the Artemis 
program as a stepping stone for 

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even more ambitious ventures 
such as Mars missions, and to 

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highlight the strategy as NASA's
partnership with SpaceX 

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specifically contracted the 
space company to provide the 

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lunar Lander that will act as 
the first astronaut base on the 

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moon. 
Now, Artemis 2 itself will be a 

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critical test flight that 
carries 4. 

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Astronauts, however, is 
essential to note that they will

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not actually land on the surface
of the Moon. 

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The Orion spacecraft is 
primarily a transit vehicle 

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designed to dock either with 
SpaceX, a Starship lunar Lander,

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or the Gateway Lunar Space 
Station. 

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Now, NASA's Deputy Administrator
Pam Melroy clarified the 

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mission's pivotal role in laying
the groundwork for the 

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succeeding steps in the Artemis 
program. 

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Now, during the Artemis 1 
mission, NASA performed A slew 

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of tests on the Orion 
spacecraft, covering aspects 

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like power generation, cooling 
systems, and electrical 

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circuits. 
And while most tests were 

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successful, certain 
irregularities were noticed in 

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the spacecraft's heat shield, 
requiring further investigation.

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Reed Weissman, the mission 
commander for Artemis 2, 

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highlighted that astronaut 
safety is a primary concern for 

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the mission, and any hiccups in 
the spacecraft performance 

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before setting a trajectory for 
the moon could trigger a mission

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abort, bringing the crew safely 
back down to the surface of the 

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Earth and looking beyond Artemis
2. 

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The Artemis 3 mission is 
scheduled to land astronauts on 

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the moon by December of 2025. 
Now, the feasibility of this 

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timeline is closely tied to 
Spacex's ability to successful 

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launch Starship multiple times, 
proving its reliability and its 

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performance. 
And SpaceX must also demonstrate

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its capability for orbital 
refueling, a necessary step for 

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sending the second stage 
Starship to the Moon. 

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And NASA officials recently 
visited Spacex's starbase to 

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scrutinize their progress and 
discuss future milestones, 

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including plans for propellant 
demonstration and an uncrewed 

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test flight. 
Now, this visit served to bridge

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communication gaps and align 
both teams more closely. 

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And SpaceX is building a 
specific lunar variant for the 

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Artemis 3 mission. 
And after the pivotal Artemis 2 

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mission, which we've already 
discussed about, now the next 

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major milestone on NASA's road 
map is Artemis 3, and this is 

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for December of 2025. 
Artemis isn't just another 

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mission though. 
It aims to be the mission that 

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will return astronauts to the 
lunar surface, but they're doing

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it in a 150 foot tall rocket. 
This is monumental. 

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We're talking about putting 
humans on the moon for the first

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time since 1972, when the Apollo
17 mission brought Eugene Cernan

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and Harrison Smith back to 
Earth. 

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Now the spotlight is on Starship
as it takes on an unprecedented 

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role. 
Then contrast to Artemis 2, 

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which primarily serves as a 
trial run for the equipment and 

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protocols involved in a lunar 
journey. 

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Artemis 3 has the objective of 
actually landing these 

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astronauts on the Moon, and the 
mission success is tied 

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intricately to the capabilities 
of the Starship Lunar Lander, 

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which is designed to safely 
ferry astronauts from lunar 

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orbit to the surface and back 
in, The intricacies of the 

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Starship Lander will be under 
intense scrutiny. 

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For instance, the Lander will 
have to demonstrate advanced 

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propulsion systems to navigate 
the moon's low gravity 

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environment. 
It also must be equipped with 

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life support systems to sustain 
the astronauts during their stay

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on the lunar surface, possibly 
lasting several days. 

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Moreover, the Lander must 
facilitate smooth ingress and 

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egress for astronauts who will 
be in bulky spacesuits, a 

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feature that cannot be 
overlooked. 

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Additionally, orbital refueling 
presents another set of 

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challenges. 
SpaceX needs to prove not just 

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to NASA, but to the whole space 
faring world, that Starship can 

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be reliably refueled in Earth's 
orbit before making the journey 

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to the moon. 
This involves developing new 

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technology to transferring fuel 
in the vacuum of space, A 

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procedure that has its own set 
of complexities. 

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And failure to do so could 
result in delays that could push

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the mission past its planned 
date, which is why NASA is 

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paying such close attention to 
Spacex's progress in this area. 

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But let's not forget, landing 
astronauts on the moon is only 

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part of the mission. 
Getting them safely back is 

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equally critical. 
Now. 

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This means the Starship Lunar 
Lander will also have to 

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rendezvous back with the Orion 
spacecraft. 

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And where orbit and the 
intricacies involved in his 

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docking maneuver aren't trivial,
as a single mistake could 

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jeopardize the entire mission 
and put the lives of the 

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astronauts at risk. 
Another layer to consider is 

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international collaboration. 
The Artemis Accords, which 

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outline A framework for 
international cooperation in 

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space exploration, are expected 
to play a significant role in 

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the Artemis 3 mission. 
NASA is encouraging 

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international partners to 
contribute to the mission, be it

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through providing additional 
technologies, conducting joint 

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experiments, or sharing 
logistical responsibilities and 

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all these aspects. 
And for the complexity and also 

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diplomatic nuance to the 
missions, planning and 

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execution. 
And in the backdrop of all this,

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NASA's administrative machinery 
is also hard at work. 

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They're juggling budget 
considerations and constraints, 

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timelines and partnerships with 
other contractors and suppliers.

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The planning is fluid and the 
flexibility to adapt as crucial 

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as they await regular updates 
from SpaceX and assess the 

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readiness levels of the 
technology, the astronauts, and 

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the mission as a whole. 
And to say that the Artemis 3 

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mission is complex would be a 
huge understatements. 

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It's colossal undertaking as a 
cascade of implications not just

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for NASA and SpaceX, but for 
humanity's reach into space. 

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And when asked about the 
definite dates for the Artemis 3

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mission, NASA remains somewhat 
elusive, emphasizing the need 

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for realistic scheduling and an 
adequate margin for unseen 

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challenges. 
Now, with rigorous testing 

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ongoing, including heat shield 
tests at NASA's Ames Facility, 

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NASA seems to be leaving no 
stone unturned in their quest to

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return humans to the moon, to 
Mars and beyond. 

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and I'll see you in the next 

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