Artemis II in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo: NASA
NASA has published its launch window availability for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, with opportunities spanning February through April 2026. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are scheduled to roll out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B NET January 17th.
The four-mile journey aboard Crawler-Transporter 2 will take up to 12 hours before the integrated launch structure and rocket arrive at their final destination.
After Artemis II is rolled out to LC39B, engineers and technicians will start pad integration tasks, including connecting essential ground support equipment such as electrical lines, environmental control system ducts, and cryogenic propellant feeds. After those tasks are successfully completed, teams will then power up all integrated systems for the first time at the pad.
All windows are 120 minutes, except for March 11th, which offers a slightly shorter 115-minute window.
Lighting Constraints Drive Window Selection
The published windows reflect careful consideration of lighting conditions, so that Orion is not in darkness for more than 90 minutes at a time post-launch, therefore allowing its solar arrays to keep generating power and the spacecraft to stay within its thermal limits. Dates that would put Orion into extended eclipses are removed from consideration.
Another consideration is that the launch window constraints ensure optimal conditions for tracking cameras and abort scenarios during the critical ascent phase.
NASA notes all dates remain subject to adjustments as the mission progresses through final preparations.
First Launch Opportunities Open February 6
The earliest available launch window opens on February 6, 2026, at 9:41 pm ET, with a 2-hour window. Launch opportunities continue through February 11th, followed by a brief gap, then resume mid-month. Each window in the February series shifts progressively later into the night, with the final February opportunity on the 11th occurring at 1:05 AM EST.
Should weather or technical issues prevent a February launch, NASA has identified windows throughout March and April. The March series begins on the 6th at 8:29 PM ET, while April windows open as early as 6:24 PM ET on April 1st—notably the only daytime launch opportunity in the released schedule, occurring approximately 1.3 hours before sunset.
Crew 11 prepares to board Crew Dragon and launch to Station on August 1, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced in a press conference today that NASA’s Crew 11 would return early from the International Space Station due to an unnamed medical issue with an unnamed member of the crew. The date and time of that return has not yet been determined, and will be announced once it is determined.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov comprise Crew 11.
“Yesterday, January 7th, a single crew member on board the station experienced a medical situation and is now stable. After discussions with Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Polk and leadership across the agency, I’ve come to the decision that it’s in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew 11 ahead of their planned departure within the coming days.”
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
Regarding the specifics of when Crew 11 will return, Isaacman added that, “We expect to provide a further update within the next 48 hours as to the expected anticipated undock and reentry timeline.” That’s Saturday afternoon. Stay tuned.
Crew 11 ascending to orbit on August 1, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
Crew 11 launched on August 1, 2025 and has spent 160 days in space since then. Originally planned to return next month after the arrival and handoff to Crew 12, which had planned to launch in mid-February.
Later, Isaacman said plainly, “This is not an emergency deorbit. We retain the capability to bring astronauts home in a matter of hours if necessary. So this is recognizing, first of all, we’re always going to do the right thing for our astronauts, but it’s recognizing it’s the end of the Crew 11 mission right now.”
Jared Isaacman, January 8, 2026. Via NASA Stream
So, one of the four astronauts has a serious enough issue to require testing or treatment on Earth, but it is not an immediate life-or-death emergency requiring Crew 11 to return to Earth with all possible haste. Instead, NASA is moving the timeline up for Crew 11’s return as a matter of prudence for one of its astronauts (or cosmonauts).
Once Crew 11 and Crew Dragon departs, ISS would be down to a skeleton crew: Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev from Roscosmos and NASA’s Chris Williams. They would have only the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft that docked on Nov. 27, 2025 as a return vehicle.
NASA is looking at accelerating the Crew 12 launch, but no new target date has been announced. “Alongside our international and commercial partners, NASA is evaluating their timeline to include earlier launch opportunities. We will provide more information when it’s available,” Isaacman announced.
What About Artemis II? Could This Issue Create A Delay?
Crew 12 is slated to fly in mid-February from The Cape, and launching earlier might have NASA preparing to launch two different crews on two entirely different missions in a very short timespan: Artemis II is currently scheduled to fly in early February. Launching Crew 12 earlier puts the two closer together on the calendar.
Asked if that would create a conflict within the agency, Isaacman replied to CBS News’s Bill Harwood that “These are totally separate campaigns at this point. We’re still evaluating what earlier dates would be achievable, if any, for Crew 12. So right now we’re going to look at all operations, all of our all of our standard process[es] to prepare for Crew 12 and look for opportunities if we can bring it in while simultaneously conducting our Artemis II campaign.”
Isaacman added that “There’s no reason to believe at this point in time that there would be any overlap that we’d have to de-conflict for.”
Artemis II, NASA’s return to lunar space, is expected to be rolled out to the launch pad this month, with a launch planned for February. That seemed like a good time to review my old Artemis I shots, and I found a few that were pretty good.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn first stage “Never Tell Me The Odds” made a happy return to Port Canaveral this morning, marking the first time that Blue Origin returned with a New Glenn booster after a successful flight and landing.
Dream Chaser undergoing runway tests at the former Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Sierra Space
Sierra Space announced that its Dream Chaser spaceplane has wrapped up a series of major pre-flight tests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, adding that the successful campaign moves the vehicle closer to its first free-flying mission. Sierra Space also said that it hopes to fly Dream Chaser on its first orbital flight in about a year, in Q4 2026.
Florida Testing
Dream Chaser completed Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility tests inside NASA’s Space Systems Processing Facility. The work confirmed that the spacecraft can operate within expected electromagnetic conditions throughout its mission profile in space.
The team also ran high speed tow tests at KSC and Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility. For this work, a Freightliner Cascadia from Daimler Truck North America pulled the spaceplane down the runway to simulate landing dynamics and validate key autonomous navigation parameters.
Dream Chaser then proved it could receive telemetry and route commands between the vehicle and Mission Control in Louisville, Colorado using NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. This milestone showed the craft is ready for real time command and control during flight.
The test series closed with a post landing recovery drill that confirmed crews can safe the vehicle and reach sensitive payloads quickly.
Next Up: More Testing And Modifications
With these steps complete, Dream Chaser is expected to enter its final acoustic testing campaign in December 2025. After that, the company plans to pursue modifications in Colorado to support national security missions. These upgrades are intended to broaden the vehicle’s role and show it can meet a wide range of defense requirements.
Dream Chaser at KSC. Credit: Sierra Space
Dream Chaser remains on schedule for its first trip to low Earth orbit in the fourth quarter of 2026 under the CRS-2 contract, ending with a runway landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
“Every milestone reflects the grit, creativity and commitment of our team,” said Fatih Ozmen, Executive Chair at Sierra Space. “Dream Chaser is moving steadily toward its first flight and toward supporting the nation’s highest priority space needs.”
Dream Chaser Program Milestones
Year
Milestone
2004
Dream Chaser concept introduced by SpaceDev, inspired by NASA’s HL-20 lifting body design.
2008
Sierra Nevada Corporation acquires SpaceDev and continues development of Dream Chaser.
2010
Dream Chaser selected for NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program funding.
2013
First free flight approach and landing test of Dream Chaser Engineering Test Article at Edwards AFB.
2014
Completion of additional wind tunnel and structural tests, refining Dream Chaser’s aerodynamic design.
2016
NASA awards Sierra Nevada Corporation a Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract for Dream Chaser cargo missions to the ISS.
2017
Captive carry test of Dream Chaser at Edwards AFB to validate flight characteristics and systems.
2019
Final design reviews and major structural assembly progress for the first orbital Dream Chaser vehicle.
2021
Sierra Space (spun out from Sierra Nevada Corporation) continues integration and testing of Dream Chaser “Tenacity.”
2023
Major environmental and vibration tests completed on Dream Chaser and its Shooting Star cargo module.
2025
Pre-flight campaign at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, including EMI/EMC, tow tests, TDRSS command & telemetry checks, and recovery rehearsal; preparation for final acoustic testing in December 2025.
2026 (target)
Planned first launch of Dream Chaser to Low Earth Orbit under the CRS-2 contract, with runway landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Now that the federal shutdown is over, the FAA has issued a new Emergency Order that replaces the one issued November 7th. This new order makes the limitation on the hours during which commercial space launches can occur more or less permanent, stating that it will be “continuing until this Order is cancelled”.
Background
On November 7, 2025 the FAA issued an emergency order to impose operating limitations on U.S. airspace to protect safety of the national air‐traffic system, due to staffing and other disruptions in air traffic control centers. This new November 12 order cancels and replaces that November 7 order. It took effect at 6AM this morning.
Effect On Space
Under section IV.b.3 of the Order: For commercial space launches and re‑entries, beginning November 13, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. EST and until further notice, the FAA is ordering that commercial space launches and re‑entries will only be permitted between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM local time.
This is justified by the FAA as necessary “to accommodate reduced ATC services” and “ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace” in a time of stress for the system.
From a policy perspective, this event might raise questions within the industry: Will the FAA lift or modify this restriction once staffing/ATC stability improves? The document states the FAA will continue to monitor and may amend the order. How resilient is the air traffic control system as commercial space operations ramp up? Should space launches have separate contingency mechanisms? Does the field need more dedicated corridor management to reduce the impact of conventional aviation staffing issues on daytime launches? And most importantly, who would pay for all of those changes, if they were made?
For the time being, commercial space operators may have fewer launch windows, more schedule uncertainty, and potential added costs that will almost certainly be passed on to their customers.
Starlink 12-18 lifts off on February 18, 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency order restricting commercial space launches and reentries to overnight hours only, a move that will significantly impact operations here on the Eastern Range.
Effective November 10, 2025, the FAA will prohibit commercial spaceflight activity between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. local time, citing air traffic controller staffing shortages and growing concerns about strain on the National Airspace System (NAS).
The decision is part of a broader set of temporary limitations designed to reduce pressure on the country’s aviation infrastructure during the federal shutdown.
Section IV.b. — Prohibition on Commercial Space Launches and Reentries During Peak Hours
“Accordingly, with respect to commercial space launches and reentries, under the authority provided to the FAA Administrator by 49 U.S.C. §§ 40103, 40113, and 46105(c), and authority delegated to the FAA Administrator under 51 U.S.C. § 50909(a), it is hereby ordered that, beginning at 6:00 a.m. EST on November 10, 2025, and until this Order is cancelled, commercial space launches and reentries will only be permitted between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time.”
— FAA Emergency Order, November 6, 2025
Immediate Impact On The Cape
The FAA’s emergency order may impact several upcoming missions. That depends on the mission’s classification—whether it is purely commercial in nature or conducted under federal contract on behalf of a federal agency. Here are our unconfirmed educated guesses:
ViaSat-3, a commercial communications satellite operated by ViaSat Inc. and launched by ULA aboard Atlas V, is clearly affected. As a fully commercial mission, it falls under the FAA’s order and cannot be launched between 6 am and 10 pm without a waiver. Any future ViaSat launches will need to comply with the restricted launch window until the order is lifted.
ViaSat-3 has no launch date as of the time of this writing after two scrubs in the past two days.
NG-2 ESCAPADE, the NASA science mission destined for Mars, is launching aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn as soon as Sunday afternoon. As a federally funded deep space mission on a contracted launch on a commercial rocket, ESCAPADE will likely be granted priority treatment and probably would not be subject to the commercial launch restriction should the launch get delayed from its current planned launch on Sunday afternoon.
Northrop Grumman’s NG-2 mission occupies a more complex position. It is part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply program to ISS,. While the launch vehicle is commercial, the mission itself is flown under a NASA contract. That government link will probably allow it to proceed during restricted hours.
Starlink flights are directly impacted. SpaceX launches these missions for its own broadband satellite constellation and are entirely commercial in nature. As such, they must be scheduled during the FAA’s permitted overnight launch window unless an exception is granted. SpaceX has already been mostly launching Starlink at night, so the limitation may affect them less than one might think. Project Kuiper, the same: it is a commercial enterprise flying on a commercially contracted mission. That means overnight until further notice.
New Glenn NG-1 at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Blue Origin has officially announced the launch date and time window for its second New Glenn mission, NG‑2. It is now officially scheduled to lift off no earlier than Sunday, November 9, 2025, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window opens at 2:45 PM ET and closes at 5:11 PM ET (19:45–22:11 UTC).
🚀 Launch Alert | We're targeting New Glenn's second launch no earlier than Sunday, November 9, from LC-36. NG-2 will send @NASA's ESCAPADE twin spacecraft on their journey to Mars and carry a @Viasat technology demonstration for @NASASpaceOps' Communications Services Project. pic.twitter.com/6rK6wg9yxJ
An Early Look At The Weather For Sunday November 9th
Weather might pose a problem on Sunday, as there is a ~40-50% chance of rain in the forecast. Monday the 10th looks to be the beginning of a cold spell for the Space Coast, as winds will shift to the northwest as a frigid air mass approaches the area. Veteran’s Day will bring a winter-like high of 62ºF, with northerly winds ranging from 10-20 MPH. While none of that is any sort of Launch Mission Execution Forecast, it’s reason able to expect the 45th Weather Squadron to come out with something less than an ideal forecast for this flight.
In Brief
New Glenn | EscaPADE
Organization
Blue Origin
Location
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket
New Glenn
Pad
Launch Complex 36A
Status
Go for Launch
Status Info
Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window Opens
Sunday, 11 / 09 / 2025 2:45 PM
Window Closes
Sunday, 11 / 09 / 2025 5:11 PM
Destination
Mars Orbit
Mission Description
Maiden flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn carrying NASA’s twin Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) to study ion and sputtered escape from Mars and the processes that shape the planet’s hybrid magnetosphere and energy/momentum transport from the solar wind.
As of 10:16 AM Thursday November 6, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult
BlueOrigin.com for updates.
The NG‑2 mission will carry the Rocket Lab-built ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft — a pair of identical satellites bound for Mars. Also aboard is a technology demonstration payload for Viasat, part of NASA’s Communications Services Project.
The New Glenn rocket’s first stage will attempt recovery via landing on the offshore ship Jacklyn, while the upper stage delivers the payload to its Mars-bound trajectory. Jacklyn left Port Canaveral overnight, and is now steaming towards its planned downrange position to await GS-1, New Glenn’s booster.
While Blue Origin has maintained that a successful booster landing remains a tertiary goal for the mission, it is still an important one for the company: recovering the first stage sets the table for refurbishment and reflight, a key part of the economics of the New Glenn program. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp commented yesterday on social media on the landing attempt, saying, “What if we don’t stick the landing? That’s ok. We’ve got several more New Glenn boosters already in production.”
The first two goals are obvious: a successful ascent to orbit for the 320 ft (98 m) tall rocket flying for the second time. Following that, a successful payload deployment for NASA and ViaSat, Blue Origin’s customers for NG-2.
Stay Tuned
As always, lots of things can and probably will change prior to Sunday in regards to the mission.
Booster Landing Planned for LZ-2, Expect a Sonic Boom Around 1:15 AM ET
SpaceX is set to launch Bandwagon 4 tonight from SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral around 1:09 AM EDT. The window is short, only three minutes. B1091 will be returning to Cape Canaveral and Landing Zone 2 after the Main Engine Cutoff and booster separation. As such, anticipate a sonic boom to reverberate across the Space Coast shortly afterward.
*Times cross a U.S. daylight saving transition on Sunday, Nov 2, 2025; 1:00–1:03 AM local can map to either 05:00–05:03 UTC (EDT) or 06:00–06:03 UTC (EST).
As of Saturday November 1, 2025, 10:06 AM. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult
SpaceX.com for updates.
Weather
The 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force’s Space Delta 45 has released their Launch Mission Execution Forecast for tonight’s launch attempt: 95% GO.
Trajectory
Southeastward, with Booster B1091 returning to Cape Canaveral. The planned orbit is ~510 x ~510 km (approx. 317 x 317 miles), ~45 degrees inclination.
Payload
There are 18 known payloads aboard tonight’s mission, with the keystone customer being the South Korean Defense “425 Project.”
Links are included only where publicly available official pages exist; unnamed Exolaunch customers currently have no public payload pages.
Launch Viewing: In Person
As always, if you plan to watch the launch in person, arrive early and settle in at your chosen location. It’s going to a late night by most standards, so be sure to bring a jacket and a flashlight.
Follow the latest launch information on Spaceflight Now’s coverage, as well as SpaceX’s X.com feed and website.
Launch times can and do change quickly, especially when weather is a concern.
Finally, keep in mind that streaming coverage on YouTube or the X platform runs slightly behind the actual countdown — usually about 5-10 seconds. That’s simple physics – it takes some time for the signal to go through the Internet and the servers hosting it. The Next Spaceflight app displays the real countdown, so it is a good choice in the last few minutes.
Best Public Viewing Spots for SpaceX Launches from SLC-40 (Cape Canaveral)
Rooftop bar at Courtyard by Marriott with launch views; seating fills quickly. official hours.
Note: Distances are approximate straight-line measures. Access, hours, fees, security zones, and closures change by mission—verify on launch day.
Launch Viewing: Online
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Bandwagon-4. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
Artist’s rendering of Starships on the lunar surface. Graphic via SpaceX
SpaceX issued an update today outlining their planned path forward for Starship, its lunar lander variant, and another affirmation that the Moon plays a critical role in its long-term plan to establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
At the heart of the effort is Starship, a fully reusable, two-stage launch vehicle that SpaceX says is designed “for Moon, Mars, and beyond.” But the Moon is up first. The vehicle is being adapted to support both cargo and crewed lunar missions with plans to use both.
SpaceX is a key player in NASA’s Artemis program. Its lunar Starship variant was selected as the Human Landing System (HLS) for Artemis III—the mission that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972. That landing, targeting the lunar south pole, could happen as soon as the late 2020s, depending on development progress of the lander and other key equipment, such as the EVA suits the astronauts will use once they get there.
In parallel, SpaceX is preparing its own launch infrastructure both here on the Space Coast and at Starbase in south Texas, where flight tests are steadily ramping up. The goal: make rapid reusability and high payload capacity a routine part of deep space logistics.infrastructure like rovers, habitats, and power systems. The Eastern Range will serve as the operations launch site, with support from Texas. Meanwhile Texas will continue its role as the R&D center for Starship.
What’s The Rush?
The Moon’s south pole is a region believed to hold water ice within permanently shadowed craters. This resource is key for producing oxygen, fuel, and potentially even drinking water for future astronauts, making the South Pole one of the most strategically valuable spots on the Moon.
While the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, a multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law, forbids any entity claiming ownership of a celestial body, it is also simple common sense that if someone establishes a base or colony on a given spot on the Moon or Mars, it is “theirs” for all practical purposes. For the Moon’s resources, getting there and establishing a permanent presence is a strategic interest for both China and the US.
Planning For Long Stays
Unlike the Apollo missions’ Lunar Module, SpaceX is building Starship for permanence. Starship is anticipated to spend extended periods in space and on the lunar surface. Artemis III, the first mission, anticipates a seven-day stay on the Moon. Artemis X, should the program get that far, could be one to six months long. Starship will need to be able to fly and carry crew after that.
NASA is also tasking SpaceX to deliver cargo to the lunar surface prior to a crewed landing. The company’s overall plan includes an uncrewed Starship Cargo variant, which will deploy essential supplies and infrastructure before astronauts even arrive, meeting NASA’s requirements. These early robotic missions will test and qualify Starship’s systems and lay the groundwork for longer stays, science operations, and industrial activity.
The Moon will serve as a proving ground for systems that SpaceX eventually wants to use on Mars: in-situ resource utilization, deep-space life support, surface mobility, and long-duration habitation. Starship will play a major role in any of those efforts and the Starship Cargo variant promises to be quite a busy set of spacecraft.
Technical Hurdles
Major technical hurdles remain. Landing Starship on the Moon requires precise control in a low-gravity environment, along with in-space refueling—something no space agency or company has done yet. There’s also the complex choreography of launching cargo missions ahead of crewed flights and assembling a sustainable support chain between Earth and the Moon. There’s a long way to go.
Still, SpaceX appears quite committed to solving these problems quickly, with an eye on both NASA’s timelines and its own broader lunar strategy. They’ve also made tremendous progress, according to their update:
Full-scale cabin test with crew to validate oxygen/nitrogen injection, air, humidity, thermal, and sanitation controls.
Docking Adapter Qualification
Tests SpaceX’s docking system for Orion–Starship linkup, based on Dragon 2 hardware.
Landing Leg Drop Test
Dropped full-size leg article onto simulated lunar surface to study landing behavior.
Raptor Lunar Landing Throttle Test
Simulated lunar landing thrust profile with Raptor engine.
Micrometeoroid & Debris Testing
Analyzed shielding and material stackups to protect Starship from impacts and heat in space.
Landing Navigation Demos
Tested sensors, software, and radar for accurate lunar descent and landing.
Software Architecture Review
Defined control systems, fault detection, telemetry, and alert functions for lunar Starship.
Raptor Cold Start Demo
Simulated cold engine restarts after long exposure to space conditions.
Integrated Mission Ops Review
Outlined NASA–SpaceX mission plans, flight rules, and crew procedures.
Depot Power Module Test
Validated electrical systems for Starship propellant depot variant.
RF Communications Demo
Tested radio systems between Starship and ground station.
Elevator & Airlock Demo
Practiced crew and cargo transfer with EVA suits using the Starship elevator system.
Medical System Test
Validated on-board crew medical and telemedicine systems.
Propellant Transfer Testbed
Activated hardware-in-the-loop system to simulate in-space fuel transfer operations.
Clearly, SpaceX has not been sitting on its hands idly waiting for the initial Starship development to conclude before starting on other aspects of the Artemis III mission and what lies beyond that. Today’s update gives insight into those efforts and demonstrates clear progress on all fronts.
Timeline
One thing missing from the SpaceX update: any sort of timeline or projection of a timeline for completion of major milestones such as ship-to-ship propellant transfers. To be fair, the company has issued timelines for when those critical milestones will be met, but in this update there are no adjustments or restatements.
It’s possible that SpaceX may be waiting for NASA to update the public on the timeline statuses of the human landing systems (Blue Origin is working on their own) as well as the status at Axiom Space of its efforts to deliver EVA suits. NASA has not made major managers for Artemis available to the press for interviews in quite some time now, something the agency should rectify after the government shutdown ends.
The Big Picture
In their update, SpaceX makes clearly that HLS and their lunar effort isn’t just about returning to the Moon—it’s about staying there. SpaceX envisions a future where regular missions bring materials, tools, and people to build out a lunar foothold that could support science, exploration, and even commercial activity.
Clearly, SpaceX has a long way to go before it is ready, but at the same time, it is extremely rare for a company the size of SpaceX to be as agile and creative as it has been and continues to be.
You must be logged in to post a comment.