SpaceX updates Starship and HLS as Artemis faces delays

SpaceX on Thursday published its most detailed update in nearly two years on the development of Starship and the Human Landing System it is modifying to carry NASA astronauts to the lunar surface, defending progress after NASA’s acting administrator said he would reopen the agency’s award to competition. The company said it has advanced through 11 suborbital test flights, met 49 engineering and program milestones, begun fabricating a flight‑capable crew cabin for the lander, and is building the launch and manufacturing infrastructure it says will support lunar missions from Florida and Texas.

In a blog post, SpaceX reiterated that Starship is central to NASA’s Artemis objectives and stated that the vehicle’s capacity to carry large payloads to the lunar surface makes it uniquely qualified to deliver rovers, habitats and power systems. The company said it has produced more than three dozen Starship prototypes and about 600 Raptor engines and outlined plans for continued testing and facility expansion. “Starship continues to simultaneously be the fastest path to returning humans to the surface of the Moon and a core enabler of the Artemis program’s goal to establish a permanent,...