Technology

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SpaceX's massive, reusable Starship rocket made two test flights in 2023, the first in April and a second in November, and company representatives now say the third such mission could come as soon as February 2024.

During a media teleconference on Tuesday (Jan. 9) that was held to discuss updates to NASA's Artemis moon program, SpaceX Vice President of Customer Operations and Integration Jessica Jensen said the company is already seeking approval for Starship's third flight.

Another topic that was discussed in detail during Tuesday's teleconference was the off-Earth propellant transfer that SpaceX and NASA are planning as part of the Artemis 3 mission a few years from now.

In 2021, NASA selected Starship as its crewed lander for Artemis 3 — the vehicle that will carry two astronauts to the surface of the moon and then back up to lunar orbit once their stay is complete.

But because rockets and spacecraft burn through most of their fuel while escaping Earth's deep gravity well, a massive vehicle like Starship would need to be re-fueled in orbit before continuing on to the moon.

Jensen replied that it will require "roughly 10ish" flights to fuel up the Artemis 3 Starship in space, although that number could change based on how tests of the propellant transfer capability pan out.

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