"Starship" Vehicle Malfunction Complicates "NASA" Plans to Return to the Moon

A malfunction in one of the Starship vehicle’s engines, which nearly thwarted the first orbital flight of SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft during its fourteenth uncrewed test flight, could complicate NASA’s ability to adhere to the schedule for its astronaut missions to the Moon.

Starship, designed in part to transport large payloads to space, is one of two competing vehicles vying to become the first spacecraft NASA uses to land humans on the Moon and return them safely to Earth, potentially as early as 2028—an achievement not accomplished since 1972 at the end of the Apollo program.

Although Starship achieved several key objectives during its latest launch test from Texas on Monday, the mission ended several hours ahead of schedule due to a propulsion system failure.

Despite the abrupt shutdown of one of its three main Raptor engines shortly after Starship separated from the lower-stage booster, flight controllers proceeded to send the spacecraft into orbit for its first-ever commercial satellite deployment mission.

Determining the cause of the engine failure remains critical for SpaceX. However, the stakes may be even higher for NASA, as the lunar-landing version of Starship will rely on the same engine system to transport astronauts to and from the lunar surface.

SpaceX has not yet responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

A NASA spokesperson did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries regarding the engine issue or the Artemis program, instead pointing to a post on the X platform by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who stated that “Starship performed a fantastic mission… and achieved a significant milestone.”