NASA Sets 2027 Artemis III Earth-Orbit Lander Tests Before 2028 Moon Landing
NASA plans a 14-day 2027 Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit to test Orion docking with Blue Origin and SpaceX lander test articles before a 2028 crewed landing.
The story in focus
NASA announced that Artemis III, launching in 2027, will send four astronauts on Orion to low Earth orbit for a 14-day mission. They will dock with test articles of Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX's Starship to validate lander operations before a planned 2028 crewed lunar landing.
- Artemis III will launch in 2027 with NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano.
- The 14-day mission will test Orion docking with Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 test article and SpaceX's Starship Version 3 test article.
- Crew will enter Blue Moon for about two days but will not enter Starship during a docking test expected to last up to two hours.
- NASA says lessons from the Earth-orbit tests will reduce risk before astronauts attempt a lunar landing in 2028.
Mission profile
NASA outlined a 2027 Artemis III mission that will keep four astronauts in low Earth orbit for 14 days rather than send them to the Moon. The crew includes NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. The agency says the mission is designed to validate hardware and operational procedures before a crewed lunar landing in 2028.
Blue Origin will launch a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into a circular low Earth orbit about 273 miles above Earth. Orion will launch on the Space Launch System only days later, after the lander is confirmed healthy, then maneuver to rendezvous and dock. Astronauts will spend about two days aboard the Blue Moon test article evaluating its cabin, controls, and life-support systems.
Starship docking and schedule
After undocking from Blue Moon, Orion will reposition for a second docking with a SpaceX Starship Version 3 test article launched later in the mission. That docking test is expected to last up to two hours, and the crew will not enter Starship. NASA says it will evaluate controllability, communications, integrated software, and docking dynamics.
Scientific American reported that NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Artemis III is expected to lift off in summer 2027 and will serve as a tiebreaker between SpaceX and Blue Origin for the Artemis IV lunar landing mission in 2028. Artemis program manager Jeremy Parsons said both companies are planning lunar landing missions in 2028. NASA said it will wait as long as possible before selecting a lander.
Will astronauts enter both landers during Artemis III?
No. The crew will enter Blue Origin's Blue Moon test article for about two days of evaluations but will not enter SpaceX's Starship during a docking test expected to last up to two hours.
Sources & further reading
- NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations - NASA ↗NASA (.gov)
- NASA reveals new details about the 14-day Artemis III moon mission ↗Scientific American
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