NASA has no interest in nuclear weapons, but it is fiercely protective of a specific figure that underpins the Artemis program’s plan to put astronauts on the Moon. The number in question is how many Starship launches are required to stock a Starship‑based lunar lander in low‑Earth orbit, allowing it to travel to the Moon, touch down, and then return to lunar orbit.
That figure has shifted over time. NASA’s typical response has been to avoid giving a precise answer, often saying the exact number is still uncertain. In 2023, Lisa Watson‑Morgan, who was then the director of NASA’s Human Landing System, told Ars Technica, “We have a general idea, but I’m reluctant to say exactly what that is.”