updates
NASA adds a second Starship lunar landing demo
On November 15, 2022, SpaceX said NASA had modified the Starship HLS contract to add an Artemis IV demonstration and a docking with Gateway.
Topics: space-civilization starship
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SpaceX said NASA had modified the Starship human-landing contract. The 2021 award covered a lander to move astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface for Artemis III, the first crew landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The new scope, as SpaceX described it, adds a second crewed landing demonstration for Artemis IV, a docking with the lunar Gateway station, room for four crew, and more cargo and science than the first demonstration. SpaceX linked NASA’s own release.
The vehicle description repeats the integrated stack: launch, tankers, rendezvous, and a lander, fully reusable by design. That remains an architecture claim.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Contract modification for a second crewed landing demonstration on Artemis IV | Company account of a NASA modification; NASA release linked |
| Gateway docking and four-crew accommodation included in the described scope | Company account of the modification |
| Artemis III award recalled as the first landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 | Program context stated by SpaceX |
Why it matters
The Moon page tracks which Artemis landing NASA has assigned. This post is SpaceX’s version of the second award. Confirm current mission assignments on NASA’s pages when schedules move; this entry freezes what was said on November 15, 2022.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, November 15, 2022 — Grade A, company post
- NASA release linked by SpaceX — Grade A, NASA
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