Starship may chauffeur Orion to the Moon, as NASA mulls ditching SLS after Artemis V

Summary

NASA is reportedly considering using SpaceX's Starship to transport the Orion capsule to the Moon, with some sources calling it a done deal. First reported by Bloomberg, the plan would see Orion launch to Low Earth Orbit aboard the Space Launch System (SLS), rendezvous with Starship, and have SpaceX's vehicle carry the crew the rest of the way to the Moon - beginning after Artemis V. The SLS has long been central to NASA's Artemis architecture, yet its future has grown increasingly uncertain. A budget proposal from the current administration suggested cancelling it after Artemis III, before that was walked back. Then new NASA administrator Jared Isaacman - a former SpaceX customer - reshuffled the schedule again. Artemis III is now a 2027 Low Earth Orbit mission to test lunar landing technology (analogous to Apollo 9's dry run with the Lunar Module), with an actual landing pushed to Artemis IV in 2028 and Artemis V potentially following the same year. The report demonstrates the fluid state of the Artemis program as managers work to develop solutions that align with both the administrator's vision and the budget within which NASA must operate. The SLS, while it has launched a successful uncrewed lunar mission, is delayed and over budget. Isaacman has stated a desire to increase the cadence of flights, and making the vehicle a ferry for jaunts to Low Earth Orbit would certainly simplify things. After that, Starship appears to be the preferred option for getting crews into lunar orbit. The proposal reflects the Artemis program's increasingly fluid state as managers try to reconcile Isaacman's vision with a constrained budget. The SLS has completed one successful uncrewed lunar mission, but it remains delayed and over budget. Using it purely as a ferry to Low Earth Orbit would reduce its role substantially, or it could be dropped altogether after Artemis V in favour of another human-rated vehicle. Blue Origin's New Glenn, for example, is designed to carry humans and ca...