SpaceX and NASA have revealed new artwork showcasing the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) designed for NASA's Artemis program, specifically for the Artemis 3 moon mission.

This variant of Starship is uniquely designed with crew windows and a sleek white finish, differing from standard models that typically feature fins and a stainless steel exterior.

The Starship HLS is intended to dock with NASA's Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit, facilitating the transfer of astronauts from Orion to Starship for their descent to the moon's surface.

One of the illustrations highlights the Starship HLS executing a braking burn before landing on the moon, demonstrating its operational capabilities.

Additionally, the artwork depicts various maneuvers, including fuel transfer between two Starships, which is crucial for transporting heavy equipment to the lunar surface.

In June 2024, astronauts Peggy Whitson and Doug Wheelock conducted tests using Axiom Space moon suits, confirming the HLS airlock's ability to support crew operations during the mission.

However, delays in the Artemis 3 mission have arisen due to hardware development challenges, particularly concerning Orion's heat shield and the preparation of Starship for orbital flight.

Despite SpaceX's ambitious timelines for Starship, the company has yet to complete an orbital flight as of 2024, although it has made progress in test flights.

The Artemis 3 mission is now scheduled for no earlier than September 2026, a significant shift from its original target of 2024.