NASA has officially accepted SpaceX’s Starship rocket into its roster, despite the vehicle never completing a successful test flight. The space agency awarded SpaceX a modification under the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract to add Starship to its existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch service offerings.
The move comes as no surprise, given Elon Musk’s growing influence in the White House and his company’s efforts to take over key positions at the agency. However, it also raises concerns about a potential conflict of interest. Jared Isaacman, soon-to-be NASA administrator, has a long history with SpaceX.
Despite Starship’s struggles during its last two test launches, which ended in dramatic explosions, the promise of a super-heavy launch platform is tantalizing. The rocket could give the United States a significant advantage in accessing space and launching massive payloads into orbit.
However, NASA categorizes launch vehicles under NLS II into four groups based on risk. Starship falls into an unclear category, with its first-flight status remaining uncertain. NASA has until June 2030 to make a decision on this matter.
The agency is still hopeful that Starship will be ready for the upcoming Artemis 3 and 4 missions to the lunar surface, tentatively scheduled for mid-2027 and late 2028. However, its recent test flight ended in disaster, leaving its readiness uncertain.
Source: https://futurism.com/nasa-contract-elon-musk-spacex-starship