Paul Bankard

US Marine Veteran (MBW; 3/8K), Constitutionalist

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ScottLikedSLS Why would SpaceX commit a full HLS, a full second stage Starship that's intended to land on the moon, be refueled, remain in space for reuse, just to test docking in LEO and burn up afterward.

Blue Moon is just a single use lander.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino Orion is testing docking. It has never docked with BO or SpaceX. SpaceX has actual experience with docking spacecraft. BO has none.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino No, designed to work with and meeting standards doesn't mean it is the standard docking system. Keep trying.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino Again WRONG.....

The Starship HLS docking system is designed to interface with the IDSS. This ensures compatibility with Orion, Gateway, and other IDSS-compliant spacecraft.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino Wrong.... HLS is using the HLS Docking System. It's compatible with IDA and has been tested by NASA successfully via simulations, but it has never been docked with.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino The ISS is not SpaceX docking hardware.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@astro_alexandra Should have made it all women so that there were no women available for the Artemis IV and V crews when they actually plan on landing on the moon.

Congratulations, you're an idiot.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino I know this is hard for you.
You test the lander by having it attempt a lunar landing, you test the docking system by attempting to dock with it.

Take a guess which one they aren't doing on Artemis III.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@KenKirtland17 Key take away. SpaceX has already proven that it's docking systems works, see Dragon and the ISS. Orion only needs to dock with the Hardware.

Blue Origin has never docked to or been docked with in space ever......

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino TO TEST DOCKING.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@astro_jaz Artemis III isn't leaving LEO.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino "oh my god bruh."

Artemis III Mission Profile....

Rendezvous in low‑Earth orbit with one or both of the commercial lunar landers — SpaceX’s Starship HLS or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon — to test docking and integration in Earth orbit.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino It doesn't need to test the lander. It's not landing on the moon. It needs to test docking. If Orion can dock with the test starship it will be able to dock with HLS.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@_abbie_watson_ @Truthful_ast Until BO figures out what went wrong with their rocket, they don't have a means to get the lander to space.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino And it will test with SpaceX's hardware as well. If they only test BOs and it fails to dock, I guess you think NASA should just retry on Artemis IV. Until they have a proven set, they will test both.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@ThePrimalDino The LM was carried to space by the same rocket that CSM was. It didn't need to intercept another object in orbit. Your analogy is stupid. The point is to test the ability to intercept and dock. SpaceX already has experience doing this with the ISS.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@DJSnM Probably one of the few times you can say tip to tip would look less gay.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@canraptor_ The only time you can say tip to tip would look less gay.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@iamalmostlegend If you hate GenX so much, stop using all the tech they developed.

[Paul Bankard @PJBankard]

@SeboBegg There's a cable connected to it. The hook is visible.