Human Landing System (HLS) Starship

 

HLS Starship is a lunar lander variant of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, developed for NASA’s Artemis program. It is designed to land astronauts on the Moon as part of the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.

Key Differences from Standard Starship

Unlike the standard Starship, which is built for Earth-to-orbit operations, HLS Starship is designed exclusively for lunar landings and will never return to Earth. Here’s how it differs:

No Heat Shield: Since HLS won’t re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, it does not need a heat shield.
No Front Flaps or Rear Fins: Without the need for atmospheric re-entry or aerodynamic control, it lacks the standard Starship’s control surfaces.
Extended Fuel Tanks: To handle long lunar missions, it has increased fuel capacity.
Crew Accommodations: It features a spacious cabin for astronauts, airlocks, and EVA (extravehicular activity) support.
Landing Thrusters: Instead of using its main Raptor engines near the Moon’s surface (which could kick up dangerous lunar dust), it has dedicated landing thrusters placed higher on the vehicle.

How HLS Will Work

HLS cannot fly to the Moon alone; it requires in-orbit refueling from multiple Starship Tankers. The process involves:

1. Tanker Starships launch to low Earth orbit (LEO) and fill an HLS fuel depot.
2. HLS Starship launches separately, docks with the depot, and refuels.
3. HLS travels to lunar orbit and waits for the Orion spacecraft (which carries astronauts from Earth).
4. Astronauts transfer to HLS and descend to the Moon’s surface.
5. After the mission, HLS returns to lunar orbit to transfer the crew back to Orion for their return to Earth.

NASA Contracts and Artemis Missions

• SpaceX won the $2.89 billion contract for Artemis III in 2021.
• NASA later awarded a second contract for Artemis IV, worth $1.15 billion, which will include upgrades based on Artemis III’s success.
• NASA is also funding alternative landers from Blue Origin and other competitors for later missions.

Challenges and Progress

• Refueling technology: SpaceX must demonstrate reliable in-orbit refueling, something never done before at this scale.
• First lunar test landing: SpaceX may conduct an uncrewed lunar landing in 2025 or 2026 before Artemis III.