NASA has shared more details about Artemis III, a planned two-week mission in low Earth orbit set for summer 2027. The mission will send four astronauts to test docking procedures with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin as the agency prepares for future moon landings.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman discussed the mission during a news conference at Kennedy Space Center on Friday, October 23. He said Artemis IV is still planned for 2028 and is expected to carry astronauts to the Moon’s surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
However, some outside experts have raised concerns about whether NASA can meet that schedule as China works toward sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030. The mission is expected to require three launches within a short period. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will launch first, carrying its Blue Moon lunar lander into low Earth orbit.
NASA will then launch its Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft and four astronauts: Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano.
SpaceX will launch its Starship vehicle later in the campaign. Starship and Orion will perform a docking demonstration lasting about two hours. The astronauts will also enter Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander, but they will not board Starship.
Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager, described the mission as one of the most complex launch campaigns ever attempted. He said the tests are intended to lower risks before future missions send astronauts to the lunar surface.
NASA is also working to develop a lighter and simpler spacesuit for its early lunar surface missions. The agency aims to reduce the suit’s weight to 250 pounds, about half the mass of the current design target described in the plan.
Meanwhile, Axiom Space is continuing work on more advanced suits for later missions. The agency also intends to keep both SpaceX and Blue Origin in consideration for Artemis IV.
Rather than choosing one company’s lander now, NASA plans to preserve both options as it moves toward its next crewed lunar landing. Artemis III is expected to help NASA test key systems and procedures in space before attempting the more challenging journey to the Moon’s surface.
