NASA’s Artemis missions are among the most exciting space missions humanity is looking forward to. We still have a long way to go before humans set foot on the Moon again with Artemis III. However, SpaceX shared some good news after completing several tests on the engine of the Artemis spacecraft.
According to an announcement from NASA, SpaceX has demonstrated that the engine on Artemis III’s Starship HLS lander is working. The HLS, or Human Landing System, will allow humanity to land safely on the Moon and then take off again, similar to what the Apollo landers did for the original astronauts of the Moon missions.
These new tests are very important because they officially prove that the engines on the Artemis lunar lander can operate in the extremely cold conditions caused by long stays in space. Additionally, tests show that the engines can perform the burn needed to slow the lander so it can land safely without crashing.
The Raptor engine used on the SpaceX HLS has now proven that it can successfully burn for the full duration required to control a powered descent stage. It has also demonstrated the ability to vary engine power levels over time, which is extremely important during intense maneuvers of this caliber.
NASA is working with SpaceX and others to develop the systems needed to make Artemis III and future missions to the Moon successful. Seeing that SpaceX’s Artemis Moon Lander engine can complete these tests as expected is vital to ensuring the safety of astronauts who will travel to the Moon with Artemis III.
With a system like HLS, NASA and SpaceX will fundamentally change the way we land on other cosmic bodies, and perhaps the same system will one day help astronauts land on Mars.
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