NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Doug Wheelock recently participated in testing a sub-scale mockup elevator for SpaceX’s Starship human landing system (HLS) at the company’s Hawthorne, California headquarters. Astronaut input is a vital component of spacecraft design, giving the people who will actually use the equipment a chance to test progress so far and to provide feedback from a crew perspective. This feedback often informs and evolves the design.

In 2021, NASA signed a $2.89 billion contract with SpaceX to develop and manufacture the Starship lunar lander. The company will provide two flights of the lander system: the first, an uncrewed demonstration and the second flight to carry astronauts to the moon.

What Was Tested?

Mann and Wheelock reviewed and gave feedback on the current designs for elevator controls, gate latches, and dynamic operations while the basket moved along a vertical rail system. They also looked at ramp deployment interfaces for moving into and out of the elevator basket, available space for cargo and other materiale that will be required during their mission.

For the review and demonstration, the NASA astronauts wore suits that simulate the spacesuit size and mobility constraints that crew will encounter while they perform extra-vehicular activities on the Moon. Advanced spacesuits for this purpose are being developed by Axiom Space.

Timeline Challenges for HLS

The original timeline called for an uncrewed test flight before a crewed flight in 2024 as part of the Artemis 3 mission, but the crewed flight has been delayed to at least December 2025. Unlike the Apollo missions, the Starship lunar lander will require on-orbit fueling, a technology that has yet to be tested.

First, however, SpaceX needs to perfect operational launches of Starship Heavy. The company has performed two test flights of Starship Heavy, but has yet to achieve orbit with the system. Signs are pointing to another Heavy launch attempt in early 2024. SpaceX has not announced a specific target date as of yet.

Once SpaceX achieves reliable launch operations of Starship Heavy, it can then move to tests such as propellant transfer. Meanwhile, other development efforts that don’t require an orbital regime can be demonstrated, which is what the NASA astronauts were doing recently in California.