SpaceX defended Starship and said it is assessing a simplified moon mission architecture, with a propellant transfer test next year.

SpaceX said it has pitched NASA a "simplified mission" to put astronauts back on the moon following criticisms over delays by Sean Duffy, the space agency's acting administrator.

"We've shared and are formally assessing a simplified mission architecture and concept of operations that we believe will result in a faster return to the moon while simultaneously improving crew safety.

NASA's chief said recently he's reopening bids for the Artemis III contract that it awarded SpaceX in 2021. SpaceX has now responded.

Despite the ongoing government shutdown, NASA did manage to complete a major milestone in its effort to send astronauts back to the moon.

Former NASA officials warn that the U.S. looks poised to lose its self-declared race to beat China to the moon

For over a decade, the idea of lunar water ice has fueled mission designs and space agency roadmaps. The permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the Moon’s poles, so cold they haven’t seen sunlight for billions of years,

Interest in the moon has been high—just in the past two years there have been 12 attempts to send missions to the moon, nearly half of which private companies undertook. With so much activity, it's important to start thinking about coordination and safety.