SpaceX Revealed Starship's Landing Legs Technique on the Moon…Engineering genius!

Landing a crew on the moon has never been an easy task for any organization or vehicle. With Starship, a vehicle much larger than a traditional lunar lander, the challenge becomes even more uncertain. So, how will SpaceX achieve this goal? Could this be the moment when an option that many, myself included, have long admired, makes its return, a Starship equipped with the landing legs? Interestingly, SpaceX and Musk appear to have a plan for this very method of lunar landing. The question is, how will Starship use legs to land safely on the moon and what preparations will be required to make it possible? Let us explore the details together on today's episode of Great SpaceX. After more than half a century, humanity is once again on the verge of returning to the moon. The excitement is immense, but so are the challenges. Refilling systems must be developed. Crew transfers between vehicles must be perfected. And perhaps most daunting of all, the final step of landing safely on the lunar surface must be achieved. Landing on the moon has never been easy. Many robotic landers have failed, reminding us just how difficult this process truly is. With SpaceX's Starship, a vehicle far larger and heavier than any lander before, the challenge grows even more significant, especially when it involves carrying astronauts. That raises the key question that many people, myself included, continue to ask. How can Starship land with its current design that lacks landing legs? A rocket of this size must have legs, right? Personally, I've always admired rockets that land on their own legs. In the early stages of Starship's design, before the concept of the orbital launch mount and chopsticks was introduced, landing legs were considered essential. They allowed the rocket to remain upright and stable, especially when touching down on rough and uneven terrain like the lunar surface. Beyond the moon, legs would also be critical for other use cases. For example, if Starship were to land on a drone ship at sea or in places around the world for Earthto Earth transport where towers could not be built, legs would be required. This makes the question of landing legs even more important for Starship's long-term versatility. Well, there are two designs that have been revealed. The first is a fixed design which has been featured in some early Starship human landing system concepts. In this version, the landing legs remain extended combined with solar panels along the body. The benefit of this design is simplicity. Fewer moving parts mean fewer chances of failure and the structure would remain lightweight, optimizing mass while still offering basic stability. The second design, the second design is a foldable leg system, which was applied in the first version of Starship HLS. The option is more complex, but it offers significant advantages. Foldable legs can deploy only when needed, allowing Starship to remain aerodynamic during flight and versatile when landing. More importantly, foldable legs provide adaptability, helping the rocket adjust to uneven terrain in real time. SpaceX already has experience with this approach from the Falcon 9, which successfully uses deployable legs on every landing. Personally, I believe the foldable design is the more reasonable choice. Convenience, adaptability, and proven technology all point to it being the better option. If adopted, Starship would land using a mechanism very similar to Falcon 9. As the vehicle approaches the lunar surface, the legs would deploy while the engines and thrusters carefully adjust the descent. By maintaining thrust, the weight pressing down on the legs would be reduced, giving them time to stabilize and lock in place. Once stability is achieved, the legs would secure Starship upright. When the mission is complete and Starship prepares to leave, the legs would retract before ascent to ensure they remain protected during flight. However, Starship is not Falcon 9. Its size, mass, and mission requirements mean the leg system must be upgraded. First, the number of legs may increase. Instead of four, Starship could have five, six, or even eight legs. More legs provide greater stability and redundancy, ensuring that if one leg fails, the others can still balance the vehicle. This approach mirrors SpaceX's engine philosophy, where they use many smaller Raptors instead of relying on a single large engine. Second, the legs themselves must be larger and stronger to handle Starship's immense weight. At the same time, they must not add excessive mass since every kilogram counts in space flight. To solve this, SpaceX may explore advanced systems to absorb impact and distribute loads. One option is a hydraulic system capable of withstanding heavy shocks and adapting to unpredictable lunar terrain. This would provide resilience during hard landings. Another possibility is an electromechanical system inspired by Tesla's precision technology, which could offer fine control and durability over long missions. Overall, each option has drawbacks. Hydraulics require a network of pipes that could be damaged or leak in space, making repairs difficult. Electromechanical systems carry risks of overheating or electrical failure, which could compromise the structure. SpaceX must carefully weigh these risks when finalizing the design. At present, Starship prototypes are still being built without legs, so any changes will need to appear in upcoming HLS prototypes. Adding legs will affect many systems in the A section of both stages, meaning significant redesigns are likely. As for the timeline, we may see a leg equipped HLS prototype around the middle of next year in time for an uncrrewed landing demonstration by the end of the year. That would pave the way for a crude landing in 2027. The path forward is not simple, but it is exciting. Landing legs may look like a small detail. But for a rocket as ambitious as Starship, they could be the difference between success and failure. The design choices SpaceX makes in the coming months will shape not only how Starship lands on the moon, but also how it performs on Earth and eventually on Mars. So, what do you think? Will SpaceX choose fixed legs for simplicity or foldable legs for adaptability? Share your thoughts in the comments. And if you're ready to see Starship take this historic step, make sure to like the video and subscribe to our channel to continue following SpaceX's journey. Indeed, landing legs have always been seen as essential during the early stages of development. But will SpaceX abandon the no landing leg version of Starship altogether? The answer is probably no. SpaceX has always prioritized shaping its rockets for full and rapid reusability, which means that the launch tower and catching tower systems will continue to play a central role. These systems allow Starship to land without legs, ensuring faster turnaround times and reduced mass penalties. This approach becomes even more convincing when we look to the future. Once Starship establishes permanent infrastructure on the moon, the need for landing legs may diminish. At that point, the Starship with legs, which many of us admire, could eventually be phased out once again. However, in the early stages before robust lunar infrastructure is built, both the legged and legless versions of Starship may operate side by side. At first glance, operating a no-legg version sounds risky. Without legs, concerns naturally arise about stability on uneven terrain. But SpaceX may have a solution. Horizontal landing. By shifting from a vertical to a horizontal orientation, Starship could reduce risks associated with its tall, narrow profile. A horizontal landing would provide greater surface stability, especially on rough terrain, and could ensure the safety of both the vehicle and its crew. This concept also ties into SpaceX's vision of creating a permanent lunar outpost. Musk has spoken of building moon base alpha and one of the proposals includes converting a Starship HLS into a surface base. Concepts like those from Astrom suggest this could be feasible. But if SpaceX perfects horizontal landing, the transformation from vehicle to habitat could become even simpler. Instead of requiring extensive adjustments, Starship could land, settle horizontally, and transition directly into a base. Of course, this would require a significant engineering effort. For Starship to achieve a horizontal landing, it would need a carefully integrated system of engines and thrusters. Thrusters would likely be placed in the forward section to balance the power of the aft engines. During descent, the engines and thrusters would work to slow the vehicle. As it nears the surface, the engines could gimble to shift orientation while the thrusters push laterally, tilting Starship into position. Once aligned, the thrusters would maintain control, allowing the vehicle to touch down smoothly. This method would demand precise navigation, split-second adjustment, and flawless engine coordination. It's likely that SpaceX would first test such maneuvers during ocean landings before attempting them on the moon. It's an ambitious vision, but if successful, it could redefine how Starship operates beyond Earth. The combination of legless catching towers on Earth and possible horizontal landings on the moon shows that SpaceX is keeping every option on the table. To prepare for any possible scenario, SpaceX has been making steady progress toward the human landing system, though much of it happens quietly in the background. At Starbase, a nose cone is already on site, though it is unclear if it belongs to the actual HLS vehicle. What we do know is that SpaceX has released real images of the crew airlock and compartment, and elevator tests have been carried out to validate critical systems. Designs and plans for the HLS have been revealed, but the full prototype itself has not yet been seen. It's worth remembering that NASA's Artemis program requires SpaceX to field two HLS prototypes. One will be dedicated to the uncrrewed landing demonstration, and the other will serve the official Artemis 3 mission, which will return astronauts to the lunar surface. This requirement places additional demands on SpaceX's already ambitious development timeline. Recent activity suggests that preparations are well underway. Observers have noted new construction at McGregor, Texas, where SpaceX tests its engines. The site includes unusual new structures, leading to speculation that they may support hls testing. One possibility is a massive tethered tower system, similar in concept to the facility China used for its Lua lunar lander. For Starship, however, such a structure would need to be significantly larger and capable of simulating lunar gravity conditions to validate landing procedures. If this new facility is indeed for Starship HLS, construction could be finished in the first half of next year, allowing for testing to begin by midyear. That schedule would align with the uncrrewed demonstration landing currently expected later in the year before Artemis 3. There will no doubt be further challenges ahead, but SpaceX leaders, including Gwyn Shotwell, have reaffirmed confidence that Starship will be ready. We're now less than 2 years away from one of humanity's most significant milestones of the century, the return to the moon. This time the goal is not just to visit, but to explore, build, and begin laying the foundation for a true lunar presence. The US is leading the effort through NASA's Artemis program, but it is not alone. Competitors such as China are also pushing forward aggressively, ensuring that the race will be more intense than ever before. At the heart of America's return stands SpaceX, tasked with delivering its Starship human landing system to the lunar surface. Yet, the question of how Starship will land remains central. Will SpaceX refine a design with landing legs, or will an entirely new approach emerge? Both carry risks, but the choice will shape the future of lunar exploration? For now, we can only wait to see what SpaceX decides. Which method do you believe will take humanity back to the moon? Share your thoughts and join the discussion down in the comments. Otherwise, folks, this has been Kevin with Great SpaceX. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay up to date with yours truly on the latest milestones in SpaceX's journey. Thank you so much for watching and always remember, curiosity, imagination, and inspiration will follow you so long as you keep looking up.