NASA's First Return Mission to the Moon

According to SaedNews, NASA recently released new images depicting various stages of the "Artemis 3" lunar landing, scheduled for launch in early 2026. SpaceX has the crucial task of docking its lunar lander, known as the "Human Landing System" (HLS), to the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit. Once docked, two Artemis astronauts will transfer from NASA's spacecraft to this special version of the Starship, which stands approximately 50 meters tall. At this stage, the SpaceX vehicle will begin a controlled descent towards the moon.

However, before docking with Orion, the lunar Starship will need refueling to continue its mission. This stage involves another unique method where another Starship (built as a refueler) will connect to the lunar Starship in low Earth orbit. After transferring additional fuel to the lander, this 15-story vehicle will continue its journey toward Orion in lunar orbit.

The Starship will be guided to the landing area using a braking maneuver with two Raptor engines. Given the height of the Starship, the astronauts will use a special elevator designed to lower them and their equipment to the moon's surface. At this point, they can make history by becoming the first humans to return to the moon after more than 55 years.

Once the two astronauts complete their mission, they will return to the Starship, which will then lift off from the moon's surface and travel back to Orion to begin the journey home.