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Come 2026, NASA plans to land humans on the moon for the first time since 1972. Times have changed, as can be gauged from the new rockets, spacecraft and spacesuits.

To prepare for the Artemis 3 moon-landing mission, in late April two astronauts donned Axiom Space's new spacesuits and for the first time tested out a mock version of the vehicle that will get them to the moon.

Scientists and engineers say the test the first of its kind since the Apollo era provided feedback on how well the spacesuits, being built by Axiom, worked with a test version of SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS), NASA's vehicle of choice to ferry astronauts to and from the moon during the Artemis 3 mission. They were able to gauge the layout of the HLS, including its layout, physical design and clearances, according to a NASA statement.

The three-hour test, which was carried out at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, was also useful to judge the flexibility of the spacesuits, and the ease of getting in and out of them before stowing them in the airlock with minimal assistance.

Two astronauts, Axiom Space's Peggy Whitson and NASA's Doug Wheelock, donned spacesuits in a full-scale mockup of the airlock that is perched on Starship's airlock deck. Each spacesuit also included a full-scale "backpack" model of the portable life support system, according to a statement by Axiom.

During the test, the astronauts interacted with a control panel in the airlock to ensure the controls were within reach and could be activated while wearing gloves, NASA said. They also practiced using a test elevator, which will take astronauts and their equipment from the Starship deck to the moon's surface for moonwalks during Artemis program missions.

"Overall, I was pleased with the astronauts' operation of the control panel and with their ability to perform the difficult tasks they will have to do before stepping onto the moon," Logan Kennedy, the lead for surface activities in NASA's HLS Program, said in the NASA statement. "The test also confirmed that the amount of space available in the airlock, on the deck, and in the elevator, are sufficient for the work our astronauts plan to do."

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Related: NASA picks SpaceX's Starship to land Artemis astronauts on the moon

In March last year, NASA and Axiom revealed a prototype of the spacesuit, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), which is being designed to be worn by astronauts both in-flight and on the moon. The company is beyond the preliminary design review point with NASA and will enter a critical design review phase later this year, Axiom said in its statement.

"Integrated tests like this one, with key programs and partners working together, are crucial to ensure systems operate smoothly and are safe and effective for astronauts before they take the next steps on the Moon," Amit Kshatriya, NASA's Moon to Mars program manager, said in the NASA statement.

In April, Axiom tested one of the unoccupied spacesuits in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, for which the company added weights to the suit to mimic the lunar environment, where gravity is just a sixth of Earth's. Soon, an astronaut will don the suit for the first test run in the water, the company said in its latest statement.

Meanwhile the astronauts' ride to the moon, Starship, is being developed by SpaceX to be fully reusable to aid economically feasible trips to the moon and eventually Mars. On Friday (June 7), the company moved closer to that goal with a successful fourth test flight that ended in smooth water landings for both the vehicle's Super Heavy booster and Starship itself.

Humanity's return to the moon, however, is now expected to occur no sooner than September 2026, after NASA delayed its touchdown plans from the originally targeted landing in late 2025. Issues with the Orion spacecraft's heatshield, life support systems and an electrical system in the crew abort systemhave contributed to the delays.

"As we prepare to send our friends and colleagues on this mission, we're committed to launching as safely as possible," Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator, had told reporters during a media teleconference in January. "And we will launch, when we're ready."

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Astronauts test SpaceX Starship hardware and spacesuits for Artemis 3 moon mission (photos) - Space.com

SpaceXs launch of its mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday accomplished a set of ambitious goals that Elon Musk, the companys chief executive, had set out before the test flight, the fourth.

Lifting off from SpaceXs launchpad at 7:50 a.m. in South Texas, near Brownsville, Starship rumbled into the sky.

After it dropped away from the upper stage, the booster was able to gently set down in the Gulf of Mexico while the second-stage spacecraft traveled halfway around the world, survived the searing temperatures of re-entering the atmosphere and also made a controlled splashdown, in the Indian Ocean.

The flight was not flawless, and tough technical hurdles remain. The successes, surpassing what was accomplished during the previous test flight in March, offered optimism that Mr. Musk can pull off his vision of a rocket that is the biggest and most powerful ever and yet entirely reusable.

The outcome also helps validate the companys break-it-then-fix-it approach to engineering, with steady progress since the first test launch in April last year when the rocket had to be deliberately destroyed when it flew off course.

They are showing a capability to make progress more rapidly than we may have thought theyd been able to make, said Daniel L. Dumbacher, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a professional society for engineers. Theyve got a team that knows what theyre doing, has the capability is willing to learn, and just as importantly, is not beholden to past assumptions.

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SpaceX's Starship Rocket Successfully Completes 1st Return From Space - The New York Times

Sure, the test flight of the world's most powerful rocket this week was nail-biting. But it was also a massive win for SpaceX with a successful fourth test for Starship.

The company's goals for this test flight were accomplished as Starship's first-stage booster, Super Heavy, made a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico and the 165-foot tall (50 m) upper stage, referred to simply as Ship, made a controlled landing burn during reentry before landing in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX now aims to build on the progress with its Starship program as continues work on Starfactory, a new manufacturing facility under construction at the company's Starbase site in South Texas. As it looks to use Starship to eventually make humanity interplanetary, SpaceX has stated the ambitious goal of producing one new Starship rocket every single day at the new facility.

Related: SpaceX Starship launches on nail-biting 4th test flight of world's most powerful rocket (video, photos)

"We have Ships and Super Heavy boosters built and either ready to launch or in testing for the next several flights with more coming off of the production line as SpaceX's Starfactory continues to grow," Jessie Anderson, SpaceX's Falcon Structures Manufacturing Engineering Manager, said during SpaceX's livestream of the Starship flight test Thursday. "The latest phase of the factory currently under construction will come online this summer, giving us several 100,000 more square feet of space."

The facility is part of SpaceXs Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, one of the first-ever commercial spaceports in the world devoted to a single vehicle; in this case, Starship. Once completed, the company's goal for the facility will be to create one Starship megarocket every day at Starfactory.

"When you step into this factory, it is truly inspirational. My heart jumps out of my chest," Kate Tice, manager of SpaceX Quality Systems Engineering, said during the same livestream. "Now this will enable us to increase our production rate significantly as we build toward our long-term goal of producing one Ship per day and coming off the production line soon, Starship Version Two."

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

This new version of Starship is designed to be more easy to mass produce, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on social media. "Note, a newer version of Starship has the forward flaps shifted leeward. This will help improve reliability, ease of manufacturing and payload to orbit," Musk shared on X.

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SpaceX wants to build 1 Starship megarocket a day with new Starfactory - Space.com

Elon Musk had a sexual relationship with a SpaceX employee who started at the company as an intern and was then hired not long after she finished college before she ended things, according to a report.

Musk, who has a fortune valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $198 billion as of Wednesday, also pursued relationships with other female subordinates at his rocket company, including with one woman who was asked by the mogul to bear his children, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The mogul also carried on a month-long sexual relationship with a third woman who reported to him directly at SpaceX before the two cut ties, according to the report.

The third woman and Musk were involved romantically after she was accused of having an affair with the husband of another SpaceX executive, it was reported.

The Post has sought comment from SpaceX and Musk.

Musk first met the then-intern in the early 2010s when she was a college student studying engineering.

According to the Journal, Musk and the woman went out for a meal after she sent him ideas about how to improve the company.

Musk and the woman kissed after the two bonded over their love of Star Wars, according to the report.

A year later, Musk arranged for the woman to be flown to a resort in Sicily where the two met, the Journal claimed. Musk was in Sicily attending a conference sponsored by Google.

The womans passport was in another city, so Musk made arrangements for a friend of the woman to bring it to her on an early morning domestic flight, according to the Journal.

The woman was then booked for a first-class flight to London and then a private jet to Italy, it was reported.

In 2017, Musk offered the woman a role on his executive staff.

Former SpaceX staffers thought it was odd that someone so young was offered a high-profile position close to the boss, according to the report.

After she moved to Los Angeles from New York, the woman accepted an invitation from Musk for drinks.

Her friends told the Journal that Musk came on to her and touched her breast.

One of her friends said the woman recalled Musk telling her: Oh, Im so bad. I shouldnt be doing this.

Elon tried to rekindle our relationship prior to my employment, and I rejected the advance. While there was some initial awkwardness, it was nothing out of the ordinary after a rejection, the woman said in a sworn affidavit provided to the Journal by a law firm which also represents Musk and Tesla.

According to the Journal, the woman, who denied ever having a romantic relationship with Musk, said she was unhappy at SpaceX because she had no authority and that she also had trouble getting other executives to take her ideas seriously.

The situation got so bad that on several occasions she would hide in the bathroom on company grounds, the Journal reported.

In the affidavit provided to the Journal, the woman said that her feelings about the job at SpaceX were completely unrelated to any romantic or personal interactions with Elon Musk.

I came into a very difficult role as a newcomer into an established company, she said in the affidavit.

As she struggled to establish herself in the company, she would visit Musk at his home after the boss frequently texted her, according to a friend.

Come by! Musk would text her. When she didnt respond, he would continue texting.

Look, its either me or 6am [exercise] 🙂 he wrote on one occasion.

On another occasion, Musk texted: Just finished the Model 3 production call. Its def going to be hell for several more months.

Are you coming over? If not, I will probably tranq out. Too stressed to sleep naturally, Musk wrote to her.

When Musks texts went unanswered, he wrote: Probably best if we dont see each other.

The next morning, the woman texted back to him, writing: Oh man. Im sorry, Id already fallen asleep. Ive been a late night person most of my life but have been trying to switch over because it seems responsible. Tbh. Sorry I crashed last night.

Later that same day, the girl confided in a friend that she had mild [social] anxiety resulting from imposter syndrome which definitely makes this job harder.

And thats definitely exacerbated by Elons behavior, her friend responded. The woman replied: So badly.

She said Musk displayed a lack of interest in her job, which made it more difficult, according to the Journal.

The awkwardness with Musk eventually led her to leave Musks executive staff. She was reassigned to another role in which she reported to another engineer, according to the Journal.

In 2019, when her manager was part of mass layoffs, she left the company.

In 2013, a woman who worked at SpaceX left the company and then reappeared with a lawyer.

She alleged that Musk had asked her on several occasions to have his babies, according to the Journal.

Musk, the father of 10 children including twins that he shared with another SpaceX employee, Shivon Zilis, has often spoke about the need to boost birth rates in order to save the human population.

After the woman declined Musks offer to have his children, the relationship between the two deteriorated, according to the Journal.

Musk would often complain about her job performance. He also reportedly denied her a raise.

The woman eventually left the company with an exit package work more than $1 million in stock and cash, the Journal reported.

A year later, Musk began a sexual relationship with another woman who would often spend 17-hour days working alongside the boss.

Before the relationship with Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceXs presient and chief operating officer, accused her of having an affair with her husband. She denied the allegation.

The woman alleged that when she went to human resources with Shotwells allegation, Shotwell retaliated against her by trying to get her removed from her position.

People close to the woman told the Journal that while Shotwell was working to get her fired, Musk brought her closer to him.

The relationship began while Musk was in the middle of divorce talks with British actress Talulah Riley.

But it ended weeks later when she confided in friends that she felt used and that Musk had no desire to be seen in public with her.

She left the company and was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement. In exchange, she was reportedly paid $85,000 for unpaid work that she did earlier for Tesla.

The untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history in your email paint a completely misleading narrative, Shotwell told the Journal.

I continue to be amazed by what this extraordinary group of people are achieving every day even amidst all the forces acting against us. And Elon is one of the best humans I know.

In 2022, a SpaceX flight attendant accused Musk of exposing himself to her aboard one of his private jets in 2016.

The woman was later paid $250,000 to settle the claim.

News of the allegation and the subsequent settlement was first reported by Business Insider.

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Elon Musk had sex with SpaceX worker who began as intern, asked another to have his babies: report - New York Post

Aerospace company SpaceX and its founder Elon Musk were sued Wednesday by a group of engineers who say they were illegally fired after raising concerns over alleged sexual harassment and discrimination toward women.

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The eight engineers a group of four women and four men say Musk demanded they be fired in 2022 after circulating a letter criticizing the billionaire. The letter also asked the company to clarify its harassment policies and enforce them more consistently.

Musk knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment based upon his conduct of interjecting into the workplace vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community, the plaintiffs said in the complaint, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday and first reported by Reuters.

Female engineers were routinely subjected to harassment and sexist comments because of SpaceXs pervasively sexist culture, and their complaints were ignored, the lawsuit says.

To have been terminated for protesting SpaceXs utter failure to take basic measures to prevent sexual harassment is patently retaliatory, wrong, and actionable, said Anne B. Shaver, who represents the plaintiffs, in a statement.

After the group reported their concerns regarding their firing to the National Labor Relations Board, the agencys prosecutors issued a complaint alleging the employees were illegally fired. SpaceX later sued the NLRB and the case is still ongoing.

Wednesdays filing comes as a new report from The Wall Street Journal claims that Musk repeatedly approached female employees at SpaceX for sex and to have his children. That includes a woman who left SpaceX after Musk asked her to have his babies, as the Journal reports, and a woman who Musk pursued a sexual relationship with that he met while she was interning for the company.

The untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history in your email paint a completely misleading narrative, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell told The Journal after being contacted for comment. I continue to be amazed by what this extraordinary group of people are achieving every day even amidst all the forces acting against us. And Elon is one of the best humans I know.

In March, SpaceX was sued by an employee who alleged that executives had ignored complaints of sexual harassment. She is not a member of Wednesdays lawsuit.

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Elon Musk and SpaceX face a new sexual harassment lawsuit over retaliation and pervasive sexism - Quartz