"Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine didn't mince words in September when he questioned the use of Starship to return boots to the Moon. "This is an architecture that no NASA administrator that I'm aware of would have selected had they had the choice." The contrast with Apollo is stark. The Saturn V accomplished Moon missions with a single launch, carrying everything needed for the journey."
"Today's approach requires one Space Launch System rocket plus an undetermined number of Starship launches - some estimates suggest ten or more refueling flights, though the actual figure could be considerably higher. NASA's ambitions extend well beyond Apollo's goals. The agency plans a technically challenging south pole landing to access suspected water ice deposits. Apollo, by contrast, aimed primarily to beat the Soviet Union to the Moon - a simpler objective that demanded less sophisticated hardware."
SpaceX achieved two consecutive Starship launches without unplanned explosions, but significant challenges remain before Starship can carry astronauts to the lunar surface. Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized Starship's architecture for lunar return. Unlike Saturn V single-launch missions, current plans require an SLS launch plus numerous Starship refueling flights in orbit, with some estimates starting at ten or more. NASA plans a technically demanding south pole landing to access suspected water ice. Saturn V and supporting infrastructure are retired and budget constraints are tighter than during Apollo. SpaceX's 2021 Human Landing System proposal relies on uncrewed Starship refueling, Orion rendezvous, crew transfer, and a complex descent and return sequence.
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