Six decades ago, during the Apollo lunar missions, astronauts often relied on manual controls for landing. Back then, the flight software was much simpler compared to today’s advanced systems. Now, with NASA and SpaceX approaching a crucial stage known as the Critical Design Review, the topic of control methods is still hotly debated. A recent report suggests that this could mean that only automated landing methods might be used.
This isn’t the first time NASA and SpaceX have had a tug-of-war over control systems. When designing the Crew Dragon spacecraft about ten years ago, SpaceX wanted to rely solely on touchscreens for flight commands, limiting astronauts’ input. In contrast, NASA insisted on more traditional joystick controls. It took efforts from Garret Reisman, a former NASA astronaut at SpaceX, to find a middle ground: touchscreens combined with manual flying capability.
While the Crew Dragon has completed several successful missions, the same can’t be said for the new Starship. According to the report, “Starship will not have the same level of proven flight heritage for its crewed lunar missions.” Ensuring that astronauts have reliable manual controls is vital for their safety. This aspect is crucial for the Human Landing System’s certification and crew survival.
Interestingly, the inspector general’s report also highlights details about the uncrewed test flights that SpaceX and Blue Origin will have to conduct before astronauts can go to the Moon. These initial flights won’t need life support systems or airlocks like those required for human missions. The Starship won’t even need to demonstrate an elevator system for crew access to the lunar surface during these tests.
There’s limited opportunity to study the effects of lunar dust during these uncrewed flights, which is important since this dust may interact with life support gear on future missions. Recent studies show that lunar dust can pose potential hazards, so understanding its impact is essential as we prepare for human landings on the Moon again.
As discussions around automation versus manual control continue, it’s clear that the mission to return humans to the Moon is complex. Every decision made today echoes the rich history of space exploration, reminding us how far we’ve come and how much more there is to learn.
