Comment SpaceX is celebrating two consecutive Starship launches without unplanned explosions, yet the business faces a daunting path forward before the spacecraft can deliver astronauts to the lunar surface. 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." NASA panel fears a Starship lunar touchdown is more fantasy than flight plan 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. But nostalgia won't solve today's problems. The Saturn V and its supporting infrastructure are long retired, and even if resurrection were possible, the system couldn't meet NASA's current needs. Budget constraints — far tighter than during Apollo's heyday — further limit options. These realities explain SpaceX's 2021 selection for the Human Landing System contract. The company's proposal envisions launching an HLS variant of Starship uncrewed, refueling it in orbit through multiple tanker flights, then sending it to lunar orbit. Astronauts launched aboard SLS in an Orion capsule would rendezvous with the waiting Starship, transfer aboard, and descend to the surface. After completing surface operations, they would return to Starship, launch back to Orion, and ride home to Earth. If you think this sounds somewhat convoluted, you'd be correct. It's small wonder that Bridenstine made the assessment he did. SpaceX's track record includes many impressive feats, including successfully landing its rockets and catching a returning Super Heavy Booster. However, Yet critical capabilities remain undemonstrated to meet NASA's requirements. Despite the two successful suborbital lobs of a Starship prototype, SpaceX has yet to reach orbit, let alone transfer fuel. There is very little detail on how the HLS variant of the Starship will land on the lunar surface. And the rate at which the fuel will boil off in space is also unknown, a critical factor if delays occur in other parts of the mission.