Ars: I want to ask now about what milestones we should be looking for this year. I think with Starship it would be the in-flight refueling test. Is that still potentially going to happen this year? I mean, I’m checking my calendar and it’s already spring.
Glaze: I hope so. I believe that is still the plan. I think they’ve shifted their schedule around a little bit. This is something you probably need to go back and talk to SpaceX and what their schedule is right now.
Ars: They’re very forthcoming.
Glaze: Yeah, I know. But they have been making some adjustments to their schedule based on trying to make sure that they have a little more confidence in what they’re going to fly before they do the prop demo. So it’s worth having a conversation with them, or at least trying. But yes, the prop transfer, I believe, is still on schedule for this year, later this year, and it’s definitely one of the key milestones that we’re keeping an eye out for. And, of course, the uncrewed demo to the Moon.
Ars: Presumably that would not happen until after Artemis III?
Glaze: Yeah, agreed.
Ars: And with Blue Moon Mk. 1, that’s launching sometime this year. You know, presumably within a few months?
Glaze: I think it’ll launch this year.
Ars: I hope so. What should we be looking for on that flight as it pertains to HLS?
Glaze: I think some of their propulsion systems are going to feed forward into the guidance, navigation, and control. Their ability to land will be key. We all know that is not as easy as one might think. So that’ll be key, just seeing how all the systems perform in the lunar environment.
Ars: Have the companies shown a greater vigor toward executing on HLS in the last couple of months?
Glaze: Yeah, in fact, I’m glad you asked that. Because I think we really have seen them—they’re taking it very seriously. Our request to try and pull things in, to try and meet the mandate to land on the surface in 2028, I think we have seen real commitment to try and do that on both sides, from both Blue and from SpaceX, yeah, a real commitment to seeing what they can do to try and pull that in.