Mars 2026 Mission Delayed: Orbital Refueling Bottleneck

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Elon Musk now considers a 2026 Mars mission a "distraction", shifting focus due to delays in orbital refueling, a conplex but crucial step requiring tanker Starships to fuel a Mars-bound vessel in Earth orbit before deep-space travel.

This bottleneck affects both Mars and NASA's Artemis moon missions, as orbital refueling must be proven before Starship can function as the Artemis human lander. SpaceX is working on in-orbit cryogenic fluid transfer and aims for a self-docking demonstration, though timelines are pushed, with 2029 now a potential uncrewed Mars launch window.
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