NASA safety panel warns Starship lunar lander could be delayed by years

PARIS — NASA safety advisers say they doubt the lunar lander version of SpaceX’s Starship will be ready to support the Artemis 3 mission as planned in 2027.

At a Sept. 19 public meeting, members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said they believed the Human Landing System, or HLS, version of Starship could be “years late.”

That conclusion, panelist Paul Hill said, followed a visit last month to SpaceX’s Starbase facility and meetings with company executives. Hill attended with fellow panelists and former astronauts Charlie Precourt and Kent Rominger.

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