SpaceX Starship Interior Design Updated to Land Crew on the Moon! Unlike Anything We’ve Ever Seen…

During a recent Artemis 3 update, SpaceX Vice President Jessica Jensen revealed something many people weren't expecting. We're also actively building our first flight-fidelity Starship HLS cabin at Starbase. The primary structure is assembled and prepared to be outfitted with key functional systems like avionics, power, life support systems, and more to come in the next few months. Living inside a spacecraft the size of a small skyscraper, it almost sounds like science fiction. But that's exactly the future SpaceX hopes to build with Starship HLS. Can you imagine living inside a spacecraft larger than many buildings on Earth? Would you sign up? For many space enthusiasts, the answer is probably yes. But here's something interesting. When was the last time you heard a meaningful update about the interior of Starship HLS? For months, things have been surprisingly quiet. Well, that silence has finally been broken. NASA and SpaceX recently shared a new update on the lunar version of Starship. So how far along is the project and what might the inside of humanity's next lunar spacecraft actually look like? Let's dive into it on today's episode of Great SpaceX to find out. Lately, one of the biggest concerns surrounding Starship, especially the human landing system variant, has been its progress. The calendar keeps moving. Major Artemis missions are drawing closer, yet we've heard relatively little about the spacecraft's interior or the systems astronauts will actually live inside. That has led many to wonder. Has work slowed down? Or is SpaceX simply keeping things behind closed doors? Work on Starship HLS isn't just happening on paper, it's already taking shape at Starbase. Which naturally raises another question. Have we actually been looking at it this entire time? Could it be that distinctive black and white nose cone sitting near the production site? Or perhaps another structure tucked away inside Starfactory? We don't know for certain, but based on Jessica Jensen's comments, confidence is growing that SpaceX remains on track to support the planned 2028 crewed lunar landing mission. That also suggests we could begin seeing much more visible hardware as early as next year. One important detail deserves clarification though. This Fidelity cabin isn't the actual flight hardware that will land astronauts during Artemis 3. Instead, it's a high-fidelity engineering article designed to develop and validate the spacecraft's internal systems. For Artemis 3 itself, SpaceX's primary focus appears to remain on docking hardware and testing compatibility with the Orion spacecraft rather than completing the final interior layout. Meaning, the vehicle astronauts eventually fly will likely be even more refined. Still, this raises an exciting question. What could living inside Starship HLS actually be like? To answer that, let's start with its size. From the outside, Starship is an enormous stainless steel cylinder standing more than 50 meters tall and measuring 9 meters across. Imagine climbing out of Orion, a spacecraft already considered spacious by Apollo standards, and stepping into something that feels less like another capsule and more like entering an entirely different building. It's an astonishing difference. Interestingly, astronauts won't use the entire height of Starship as living space. Most of the habitable area occupies only the upper portion of the vehicle, including the payload bay and nose cone spanning roughly the top 20 meters. Even so, the available internal volume is enormous. After accounting for structural walls, the tapered nose, and the liquid oxygen header tank near the top, Starship HLS could still offer well over 1,000 cubic meters of habitable volume. More pressurized living space than the entire ISS, and that's only the current version. Future Starship variants, such as V4, could become even larger. If those upgrades materialize, future crewed Starships might eventually support dozens of passengers, perhaps even approaching 100 people under certain mission profiles. That's an extraordinary leap compared with today's spacecraft. Such capacity wouldn't just expand scientific research, it could fundamentally reshape long duration spaceflight, commercial space stations, and perhaps one day, space tourism itself. So how do you organize that much space? One possibility is that SpaceX divides Starship into multiple functional levels, each dedicated to a different aspect of life in space. Think of it less like a rocket and more like a vertical apartment building designed for the moon and beyond. Let's take a tour. We'll start at the lowest habitable level. Every home depends on reliable utilities such as electricity, water, air circulation, heating, and cooling, and Starship is no different. The lowest deck, located just above the propellant dome, could house the spacecraft's primary utility systems, effectively serving as Starship's mechanical room, where power distribution, environmental control, water management, and life support equipment quietly keep the vehicle running. Because this level sits closest to the payload section, it could also serve another important purpose, storing mission equipment, scientific instruments, rovers, robotics, and perhaps even supplies for future lunar expeditions. It's also a logical occasion for one of Starship's airlocks, giving astronauts direct access to the lunar surface during EVA operations. Moving upward, the second level becomes much more familiar. This is where everyday living begins. One particularly exciting possibility is the inclusion of small gardens. Yes, gardens. Growing fresh vegetables offers more than just better meals. Fresh produce provides nutritional benefits that packaged food simply can't match, while caring for living plants can have a meaningful psychological impact during long-duration missions, because sometimes, seeing something green is exactly what people need after months surrounded by stainless steel. Naturally, this level would also include the galley and dining area. Future space kitchens will almost certainly look very different from today's, with cooking equipment redesigned to function safely in reduced gravity while making meal preparation easier and more enjoyable. Next comes another essential part of everyday life, exercise. Long periods in low gravity weaken muscles, reduce bone density, and affect cardiovascular health, making regular physical training not just important, but mandatory. That makes the third level an ideal location for fitness equipment, including treadmills, resistance systems, and strength training devices, alongside hygiene facilities such as showers and restrooms specifically designed for reduced gravity environments. Who knows, future innovations may even incorporate localized artificial gravity to simplify everyday tasks. That brings us to one of the most personal areas aboard the spacecraft. The fourth level, privacy. Even astronauts need a place to recharge. Individual sleeping quarters could be arranged around the outer wall, much like Japanese capsule hotels. Compact, efficient, and comfortable enough to give each crew member a private space for sleeping, relaxing, working, or communicating with family back on Earth. After long work days, exploring another world, having a quiet place to unwind becomes incredibly important. Above that lies what may become Starship's most breathtaking location, the fifth level. This could be the spacecraft's observation deck. Large viewing windows could give astronauts spectacular panoramic views of the Earth, the Moon, deep space, or eventually Mars, though they would require advanced shielding against radiation, micrometeoroids, and extreme thermal environments. Beyond offering unforgettable views, this level could also serve as a communal gathering area for recreation, research, and relaxation. Finally, at the very top of the habitable section sits the smallest level. Located just beneath the liquid oxygen header tank, this area naturally has less available volume, making it well-suited for specialized operations such as mission planning, private conferences, scientific analysis, or command activities that require a quieter workspace. So, which floor would you spend the most time on? Let me know with the floor number in the comment section down below. Of course, a spacecraft is much more than its living quarters. Many of its most important systems remain hidden behind the walls. Power generation is a perfect example. Although Starship's cryogenic propellants contribute indirectly by supporting thermal management, the spacecraft's primary electrical power will almost certainly come from large solar arrays. Current concepts show those panels unfolding alongside the vehicle. Some resemble giant wings, while others fan outward in a way that's surprisingly reminiscent of a peacock displaying its feathers. But regardless of the design, they're intended to provide continuous electrical power for life support systems, communications, computers, and scientific equipment. Batteries will also play an essential role. Much like Tesla's energy storage technology here on Earth, onboard battery systems would keep Starship operating whenever sunlight becomes unavailable. Another critical component is the airlock system. This serves as the gateway connecting astronauts to the outside world, and for Artemis 3, it'll be especially important because Starship HLS must dock with Orion before transporting astronauts to the lunar surface. That raises another interesting question. How many airlocks might Starship eventually have? Possibly, more than one. A docking airlock near the top of the spacecraft could support crew transfers between Starship and visiting spacecraft, while another located lower down near the payload section could be dedicated to lunar surface EVAs. Recent images of Starship HLS testing hardware at NASA facilities even suggest SpaceX may be evaluating multiple airlock configurations, which, if true, would provide greater operational flexibility during future missions. As exciting as all of this sounds, there's still a long road ahead. Designing a spacious interior is one challenge, but creating a fully self-sustaining ecosystem for astronauts is something else entirely. Perhaps the greatest obstacle is gravity, or rather, the lack of it. As I stated before, long-term exposure to microgravity causes muscle loss, weakens bones, affects circulation, and complicates nearly every daily activity, from sleeping and cooking to something as simple as brushing your teeth, making it one of the biggest challenges facing future Mars missions. That's why SpaceX continues exploring artificial gravity. One of the most promising concepts involves slowly rotating Starship during long interplanetary journeys, allowing even a modest amount of centrifugal force to provide meaningful health benefits. In 2024, Elon Musk commented that Starship will have a small spin on the way to Mars. Even a tiny gravity vector is better than none. Years earlier, he also expressed support for the idea of connecting two Starships with a tether to generate artificial gravity during transit. Whether those concepts eventually become practical remains an open question. Another enormous engineering challenge is the environmental control and life support system. Recycling oxygen, filtering water, removing carbon dioxide, maintaining air pressure, and supporting hydroponic food production are all essential capabilities, and while the International Space Station has spent decades refining those technologies, scaling them up for a much larger spacecraft, carrying significantly more people, will be far from easy. Then, there's radiation. Once Starship leaves Earth's protective magnetic field, astronauts become exposed to high-energy cosmic rays and powerful solar storms. Will Starship's stainless steel structure provide enough protection, or will future versions require heavily shielded storm shelters somewhere deep inside the spacecraft? Landing presents its own complications as well. Unlike smaller lunar landers, Starship towers high above the surface, meaning astronauts must travel a considerable distance between the cabin and the moon. NASA and SpaceX plan to address this with a large elevator system, but ensuring that system remains reliable under harsh lunar conditions introduces yet another layer of engineering complexity. And finally, there's propulsion. Today's Starship relies on Raptor engines burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen. Methalox is an excellent choice because it's relatively inexpensive, burns cleanly, and perhaps most importantly, methane can eventually be produced on Mars using the Sabatier reaction, one of the key reasons SpaceX selected it. However, chemical propulsion has its limits. Even with Starship, a journey to Mars could still take six to nine months, leaving astronauts exposed to radiation and reduced gravity for an extended period. Reducing that travel time dramatically may eventually require something even more advanced. Nuclear propulsion is often discussed as one possible solution. A nuclear-powered spacecraft could potentially deliver far greater efficiency, shortening travel times, while supplying abundant electrical power throughout deep space missions. At the moment, there's no public evidence that SpaceX is secretly developing a nuclear-powered Starship, but the concept continues to generate significant discussion throughout the aerospace community. If humanity truly wants fast, reliable transportation between planets, technologies like that may eventually become part of the conversation. Whether Starship itself evolves in that direction remains to be seen, and it's a fascinating topic we'll definitely have to explore in a future episode. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. As always, this has been Kevin from GreatSpaceX, and until next time, keep looking up!