re: NASA pushes back dates for Artemis II and Artemis III missions.

quote:

---

Can you or someone explain the relationship between SLS, Orion, and Starship? Is it that SLS will launch Orion, but then Orion hitches a ride to the moon on starship?

---

SLS will launch Orion into lunar orbit around the moon.

Starship will launch to the moon and meet the Orion capsule. The crew will transfer to Starship for the lunar landing. The thing is Starship spends most of its fuel getting to orbit so it will need to be refueled in earth orbit by other Starship. As the other poster said, likely 15-20 refueling trips. The 3rd flight test of Starship should happen in a few weeks. It still hasn't made it to orbit. Once they get that part down, which I think they will accomplish on the next flight. They have to work on landing both the ship and the booster, refueling in orbit and then build different versions of the Starship. The Human Landing System which is the Starship that actually land on the moon. The fuel depot ship that will act as the gas station in space and then the tanker ships that will bring fuel to the depot ship.