NASA and SpaceX are at an impasse over manual controls for the upcoming lunar Starship lander, a critical design review point. A recent report suggests automation may become the sole landing method, a stark contrast to the Apollo program where manual controls were consistently used.
This mirrors a previous disagreement over SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. Initially, SpaceX favored touchscreens only, but NASA insisted on traditional joysticks. A compromise was eventually reached, allowing manual flight via touchscreen controls.
However, the report highlights that the Dragon's controls benefited from extensive flight heritage with its cargo version. Starship, by contrast, lacks this proven track record for crewed lunar missions. The report emphasizes that incorporating manual control capabilities is vital for Starship's human-rating certification and crew survival.
Details also emerged regarding uncrewed demonstration flights required for both SpaceX and Blue Origin before human missions. These flights will not necessitate life support systems or airlocks, nor will the Starship vehicle need to test an elevator for crew descent.