SpaceX’s $2.9 Billion Moon Ship Reveals Spacious Design for Future Lunar Missions

SpaceX's latest prototype of its Starship Human Landing System (HLS) offers an inside look at the spacious, two-story design that could soon carry astronauts to the Moon. A central feature in NASA's Artemis program, this advanced lunar lander is built to support extensive missions and large crew sizes.

Early Starship HLS Mockups Reveal Two-Story Layout, Offering Ample Space for Lunar Crews

SpaceX’s multi-billion-dollar Starship Human Landing System (HLS) rocket, part of NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo, reveals new design details. According to recent updates shared on X (via Wccftech), the Starship HLS will feature two floors and potentially accommodate up to 20 astronauts. While SpaceX has been rigorously testing Starship in Boca Chica, Texas, specifics about the $2.9 billion HLS contract, awarded in 2021, have been sparse.

Fresh insights come from educator Tom Blackmore, who recently visited SpaceX’s Texas facilities. Blackmore reported that the early mockups of Starship HLS include a two-story design with a 40-foot-high ceiling, offering ample space for the crew. The prototype he toured, while still a subscale version, hints at the layout and capabilities of the final HLS design. SpaceX, still in the design phase with NASA and astronaut collaborators, is refining details to optimize the system.

Prototype Starship HLS Design Reveals Spacious Living Quarters and Advanced Lunar Controls

According to Blackmore, the prototype’s first floor is positioned above the ship’s tanks and features a slightly curved floor. This floor houses essential life support equipment for the crew accommodations on the level above. A ladder, approximately four feet wide, connects the two floors. Blackmore noted that viewers can observe the floor curving up around the life support systems, which include a heat exchanger connected to external air conditioning units.

The second floor serves as the primary living area for astronauts. Blackmore describes it as a spacious main room with bunks along one wall and storage shelves lined with foam-filled space bags on the other. Control seats equipped with touch screens, similar in design to SpaceX’s Dragon capsules, allow astronauts to manage lunar landing and ascent procedures. The four seats, styled like gaming chairs affixed to boxes, display critical information on Moon transfer, orbit, and landing maneuvers.

Access to this main deck requires climbing a set of 15 stairs. The mockup Blackmore visited featured five “bedrooms” similar to those on the International Space Station, along with a layout that could support a 20-person ring around the interior. According to Blackmore, the prototype’s spacious interior underscores Starship HLS’s capacity, describing it as “stupid big,” confidently assuring there would be “no lack of space” for crews of any size.

Starship HLS Prototype Awaits Finishing Touches as SpaceX Prepares for Key Refueling Tests

Notably, the current prototype lacks windows, though television screens displaying simulated windows are installed on one wall, hinting at possible visual enhancements for the final design. Still a demonstration model for NASA, the prototype needs to be completed or fully furnished.

Looking ahead, SpaceX is set to initiate ship-to-ship propellant transfers in March, a crucial milestone for lunar operations, according to Dr. Kent Chojnacki, NASA’s deputy manager for the HLS program. In a recent Spaceflight Now interview, Dr. Chojnacki explained that mastering in-orbit refueling is essential to allow Starship to carry significantly larger payloads. NASA’s long-term plan calls for SpaceX to achieve a launch cadence of one Starship mission every two weeks from Texas, eventually increasing to a weekly pace from Kennedy Space Center. Establishing this schedule is critical for lunar landings, enabling SpaceX to maintain fuel levels on propellant tankers in Earth orbit, which is essential for mission success.