Moon

Lunar Starship

As of 30 April 2020 SpaceX won a NASA contract to build a special Lunar version of Starship and on 16 April 2021 won NASA's Artemis human landing system (HLS) contract to land humans on the Moon in 2024.

This lunar optimized Starship can fly many times between the surface of the Moon and lunar orbit without flaps or heat shielding required for Earth return.

It has special RCS thrusters for landing the final few meters to the lunar service to avoid ejecting any dangerous rocks and dust from the lunar landing site.

HLS Starship on the Moon

The HLS Starship will carry two astronauts from an Orion capsule in Lunar Orbit too and from the surface of the Moon in 2024 after4 an earlier unmanned demo test Cargo landing on the Moon of an HLS Starship in either 2022 or 2023.

Dragon XL

On the 27th of March 2020 SpaceX won a NASA contract to supply the NASA 'Lunar Gateway' using a version of its Dragon capsule called 'Dragon XL' and launched on its Falcon Heavy.

This variant of Dragon, optimised to carry more than 5 metric tons of cargo to Gateway in lunar orbit.

SpaceX Dragon XL approaching the Lunar Gateway

After delivering cargo, experiments and other supplies, the spacecraft would be required to remain docked at the Gateway for a year before "autonomous" disposal.

Moon Base Alpha

This is a proposed SpaceX scientific research station on the Moon

SpaceX Starship landing at Moon Base Alpha

Unloading Starship note new lift system

SpaceX have plans to send an unmanned Starship to our Moon in the next couple of years as a proof of concept mission (2021/22)

In 2023 a manned test flight to orbit our Moon is planned.

Then a build up of Moon Base Alpha there after.