The Starship moon landing number NASA and Elon Musk can’t agree on

According to Teslarati, Elon Musk disputes a NASA safety panel estimate that roughly 22 Starship flights would be needed to refuel a lunar lander for the Artemis IV mission, stating the actual number will be closer to six to eight. The panel’s figure reflects current tanker capacity and propellant boil‑off losses, while Musk’s lower count assumes the upgraded V3 Starship. Refueling requires multiple tanker launches to fill an orbital depot before the lander departs, and even a twice‑weekly launch cadence would take months at the panel’s rate.

In other developments, Fort Bend County approved tax incentives for Tesla’s proposed $10.1 billion solar factory in Texas, targeting 9,712 jobs by 2033 and commercial operations by early 2029, though final approvals remain. Tesla also reported a 75 percent FSD subscription attach rate on new North American deliveries in the third quarter of 2026, a 20‑point sequential increase, while Megapack production expands to meet data‑center demand.

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The Starship moon landing number NASA and Elon Musk can’t agree on — Teslarati