Space.com
• Josh Dinner
NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
Human Spaceflight & Space Stations
Latest source-backed stories
NASA Human Landing System engineers describe Artemis III test articles and docking operations intended to support future crewed lunar landings. Separately, University of Alabama in Huntsville students and researchers report three rocket-motor firings on a prototype landing pad designed to make lunar operations safer.
NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
High activity
European Space Agency member states are scheduled to meet in Rome on Dec. 15 to decide the future of Europe’s human and robotic exploration program. The decision will set the direction for the agency’s exploration agenda as Europe looks beyond the International Space Station.
High activity
China has publicly outlined plans for its first crewed Moon landing, targeted before 2030, involving two rocket launches, an orbital rendezvous and major testing of three spacecraft systems. Hardware for a key initial flight test appears to have arrived at Wenchang spaceport. The plan does not include an Apollo 8- or Artemis II-style crewed lunar-orbit mission.
The International Space Station welcomed its first long-term residents on Nov. 2, 2000, when Expedition 1 arrived. The milestone marked the start of the station’s crewed long-duration presence in orbit.
High activity
Four volunteers emerged from a 160-square-meter habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston after 378 days simulating life on Mars. The experiment was designed to help prepare for future long-duration crewed missions, with the participants living in isolation in a windowless environment.
High activity
China will conduct a standalone mission of its Lanyue lunar lander, followed by a full-scale uncrewed landing rehearsal, before attempting to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. The test campaign lays out key steps toward the country’s crewed lunar landing goal.
Create a free account to see more recent Human Spaceflight & Space Stations stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
