U.S. space company SpaceX plans to conduct its first unmanned landing of the Starship spacecraft on the Moon in March 2027, marking a shift in focus for the company.
The company has decided to prioritize its lunar program in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a Wall Street Journal report said. Achieving the goal will require frequent test launches of Starship and presents significant technical challenges.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk had previously said the spacecraft would attempt an unmanned mission to Mars in 2026 to test landing safety, followed by crewed missions aimed at eventually establishing a self-sustaining city on the planet. Those ambitions have now been put on hold as the company concentrates on supporting NASA’s Artemis program, according to the report.5
NASA launched the Artemis lunar program in 2019, outlining a three-phase plan to return humans to the Moon. NASA has repeatedly delayed the Artemis schedule.
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