SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dynetics win contracts to land astronauts on moon

Re:SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dynetics win contracts to land astro... by mr_toad on Thursday April 30, 2020 @07:26PM (#23037477)

A lot depends on the ability to refuel in orbit. To do that they’ll need multiple starships flying, and to have worked out the kinks in orbital refuelling. It might sound trivial, but it’s never been done before.

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Re:SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dynetics win contracts to land astro... by nickik on Friday May 01, 2020 @04:19AM (#23040109)

There is a reason SpaceX is not just designing one 'bespoke' rocket. Elon has said over and over again that the real challenge is producing these in large numbers and cheaply.

They will actually have to prove out refueling pretty soon under the NASA contract.

And SpaceX bid also includes flying the system many times until 2024.

So SpaceX will have to do a lot of flights and demonstrate all this stuff to have a shot at this. So it is good that they are going right into mass production that is the only way they can prove all these different things until 2024.

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