Hi everybody and welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
Today we have an especially pertinent topic as NASA moves
into the next phase of its Artemis program, planning to put
the first humans back on the moon since the legendary Apollo
missions in the 60s and 70s. And we'll be discussing how
Spacex's Starship program is becoming increasingly crucial
for NASA's lunar plants. Will unpack NASA's recent press
conference with the Artemis 2 Astronauts and dig into the
challenges and milestones for the Artemis program and explore
the pivotal roles the SpaceX and it's Starship spacecraft play in
this monumental endeavor. But before we dive into the meat
and potatoes of this episode, I'm going to tell you the show
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starshipshirts.com now. NASA held an in person press
conference with the astronauts for the Artemis 2 mission which
aims to launch in November of 2024, and the conference
provided A plethora of updates on the missions, objectives,
timelines and interestingly, the integration of Spacex's Starship
as a key component in future lunar missions such as the
Artemis 3 mission. Now.
NASA's administrator, Bill Nelson underscored the
importance of the Artemis program as a stepping stone for
even more ambitious ventures such as Mars missions, and to
highlight the strategy as NASA's partnership with SpaceX
specifically contracted the space company to provide the
lunar Lander that will act as the first astronaut base on the
moon. Now, Artemis 2 itself will be a
critical test flight that carries 4.
Astronauts, however, is essential to note that they will
not actually land on the surface of the Moon.
The Orion spacecraft is primarily a transit vehicle
designed to dock either with SpaceX, a Starship lunar Lander,
or the Gateway Lunar Space Station.
Now, NASA's Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy clarified the
mission's pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the
succeeding steps in the Artemis program.
Now, during the Artemis 1 mission, NASA performed A slew
of tests on the Orion spacecraft, covering aspects
like power generation, cooling systems, and electrical
circuits. And while most tests were
successful, certain irregularities were noticed in
the spacecraft's heat shield, requiring further investigation.
Reed Weissman, the mission commander for Artemis 2,
highlighted that astronaut safety is a primary concern for
the mission, and any hiccups in the spacecraft performance
before setting a trajectory for the moon could trigger a mission
abort, bringing the crew safely back down to the surface of the
Earth and looking beyond Artemis 2.
The Artemis 3 mission is scheduled to land astronauts on
the moon by December of 2025. Now, the feasibility of this
timeline is closely tied to Spacex's ability to successful
launch Starship multiple times, proving its reliability and its
performance. And SpaceX must also demonstrate
its capability for orbital refueling, a necessary step for
sending the second stage Starship to the Moon.
And NASA officials recently visited Spacex's starbase to
scrutinize their progress and discuss future milestones,
including plans for propellant demonstration and an uncrewed
test flight. Now, this visit served to bridge
communication gaps and align both teams more closely.
And SpaceX is building a specific lunar variant for the
Artemis 3 mission. And after the pivotal Artemis 2
mission, which we've already discussed about, now the next
major milestone on NASA's road map is Artemis 3, and this is
for December of 2025. Artemis isn't just another
mission though. It aims to be the mission that
will return astronauts to the lunar surface, but they're doing
it in a 150 foot tall rocket. This is monumental.
We're talking about putting humans on the moon for the first
time since 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission brought Eugene Cernan
and Harrison Smith back to Earth.
Now the spotlight is on Starship as it takes on an unprecedented
role. Then contrast to Artemis 2,
which primarily serves as a trial run for the equipment and
protocols involved in a lunar journey.
Artemis 3 has the objective of actually landing these
astronauts on the Moon, and the mission success is tied
intricately to the capabilities of the Starship Lunar Lander,
which is designed to safely ferry astronauts from lunar
orbit to the surface and back in, The intricacies of the
Starship Lander will be under intense scrutiny.
For instance, the Lander will have to demonstrate advanced
propulsion systems to navigate the moon's low gravity
environment. It also must be equipped with
life support systems to sustain the astronauts during their stay
on the lunar surface, possibly lasting several days.
Moreover, the Lander must facilitate smooth ingress and
egress for astronauts who will be in bulky spacesuits, a
feature that cannot be overlooked.
Additionally, orbital refueling presents another set of
challenges. SpaceX needs to prove not just
to NASA, but to the whole space faring world, that Starship can
be reliably refueled in Earth's orbit before making the journey
to the moon. This involves developing new
technology to transferring fuel in the vacuum of space, A
procedure that has its own set of complexities.
And failure to do so could result in delays that could push
the mission past its planned date, which is why NASA is
paying such close attention to Spacex's progress in this area.
But let's not forget, landing astronauts on the moon is only
part of the mission. Getting them safely back is
equally critical. Now.
This means the Starship Lunar Lander will also have to
rendezvous back with the Orion spacecraft.
And where orbit and the intricacies involved in his
docking maneuver aren't trivial, as a single mistake could
jeopardize the entire mission and put the lives of the
astronauts at risk. Another layer to consider is
international collaboration. The Artemis Accords, which
outline A framework for international cooperation in
space exploration, are expected to play a significant role in
the Artemis 3 mission. NASA is encouraging
international partners to contribute to the mission, be it
through providing additional technologies, conducting joint
experiments, or sharing logistical responsibilities and
all these aspects. And for the complexity and also
diplomatic nuance to the missions, planning and
execution. And in the backdrop of all this,
NASA's administrative machinery is also hard at work.
They're juggling budget considerations and constraints,
timelines and partnerships with other contractors and suppliers.
The planning is fluid and the flexibility to adapt as crucial
as they await regular updates from SpaceX and assess the
readiness levels of the technology, the astronauts, and
the mission as a whole. And to say that the Artemis 3
mission is complex would be a huge understatements.
It's colossal undertaking as a cascade of implications not just
for NASA and SpaceX, but for humanity's reach into space.
And when asked about the definite dates for the Artemis 3
mission, NASA remains somewhat elusive, emphasizing the need
for realistic scheduling and an adequate margin for unseen
challenges. Now, with rigorous testing
ongoing, including heat shield tests at NASA's Ames Facility,
NASA seems to be leaving no stone unturned in their quest to
return humans to the moon, to Mars and beyond.
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