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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

It sounds like a joke or the stuff of a children's fantasy novel: taking an elevator to the moon.

But that's how astronauts plan to get from their spaceship to the lunar surface, and back, in a few years when NASA returns to the moon for Artemis missions III and IV.

The elevator is part of SpaceX's Starship human landing system, which will not only carry two crew members to the moon but serve as their home for about a week while they explore the south pole, a dark and cold region where scientists believe water ice is buried in craters. The natural resource is coveted because it could supply drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel for future missions, ushering a new era in spaceflight.

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Doug Wheelock recently tested a small mockup of the elevator — a crucial element to SpaceX's solution for getting humans from space to the moon's surface. This lift will be the portal from which the first woman and person of color step onto the moon.

[...] SpaceX's elevator will transport equipment and astronauts between Starship's living quarters, near the top of the lander, and the lunar surface, where astronauts will exit for moonwalks. The demonstration allowed Mann and Wheelock to interact with a flight-like design of the elevator system and provide feedback from a crew perspective.

During the test at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, the astronauts wore spacesuits to get a feel for the mobility challenges they'll face on their journey. For Artemis III, the crew will wear new advanced spacesuits being developed by Axiom Space. They practiced using the controls for the gate latches and ramp deployment, and they assessed the roominess for moving cargo.

As part of the deal, SpaceX will need to demonstrate a successful uncrewed test flight to the moon before Artemis III.

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