NASA is preparing for future astronaut landings on the Moon with a major orbital rehearsal planned for 2027. During the Artemis III demonstration mission, crews in space and teams on Earth will practice rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and commercially developed lunar landers.
The information gathered during Artemis III, together with data from future uncrewed demonstrations near the Moon, will help NASA improve astronaut safety and reduce risks before crewed lunar landings begin in 2028.
Two Commercial Landers Will Join Artemis III
NASA has partnered with SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop human landing systems capable of carrying astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and returning them to orbit.
For Artemis III, both companies will launch test versions, known as test articles, of the landers intended for later crewed missions. Commercial rockets will carry the two lander prototypes into space. The Artemis III astronauts will travel separately to low Earth orbit aboard Orion, launched on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
Preparing Hardware for Crewed Moon Missions
NASA has been working closely with both human landing system providers to define the goals and technical capabilities of Artemis III. As the mission approaches, SpaceX and Blue Origin are refining their plans based on which hardware will be available and what each spacecraft can demonstrate.
SpaceX expects to fly Version 3, the newest Starship design and the foundation for the future Starship HLS. Blue Origin plans to test the crew cabin intended for its human landing system. Both companies will use the mission to collect lessons that can guide later uncrewed and crewed flights at the Moon.
“Each human landing system provider has taken a different approach to the Artemis III mission,” said Steve Creech, program manager, Human Landing System Program, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Ultimately, SpaceX and Blue Origin have put forward a list of aggressive objectives and goals intended to complement upcoming uncrewed demonstration missions at the Moon so that we can gain both understanding and confidence in the spacecraft and launch vehicles prior to a crewed landing. The lander prototype designs will inform future development efforts and will continue to mature over the next year.”
Blue Origin Will Test a Crewed Cabin
Blue Origin’s Blue Moon test lander will be based on the company’s current Mark 2 crew lander architecture. It will include the major avionics, flight software, and control systems needed to make the demonstration relevant to future crewed lunar operations.
Up to two Artemis III astronauts wearing orange Orion crew survival system suits will open the hatch and enter the Blue Origin test lander. The final crewed version will need many of the same systems and subsystems, including an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), a crew cabin, and avionics.
The Blue Origin spacecraft will also carry an instrumented lunar surface spacesuit mass simulator. Similar to the suited “Moonikin” manikin flown aboard Orion during the uncrewed Artemis I mission, the low-fidelity simulator will send back real-time information about conditions inside the Blue Moon cabin.
Starship Will Dock Nose-to-Nose With Orion
SpaceX’s test article will be based on Starship Version 3, which is currently being built and tested. A docking system will be installed on the nose of the 171-foot (52-m) spacecraft.
That configuration will allow NASA and SpaceX to study how Orion and the Starship test lander behave as a single connected spacecraft. The teams are also selecting tests related to communications and spacecraft control. Artemis III astronauts will remain inside Orion and will not enter the Starship prototype.
Three Powerful Rockets Will Launch in Rapid Succession
NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin plan to launch three of the world’s most powerful rockets within a relatively short period. The demanding schedule will test launch crews, ground processing systems, facilities, control centers, communications networks, and data sharing across several major sites in the United States.
Orion will complete two separate rendezvous and docking sequences, one with each lander prototype. After the tests are complete, the Artemis III astronauts will return to Earth aboard Orion and splash down safely.
“Artemis III will be a highly choreographed dance with a demanding launch sequence across multiple launch pads and equally demanding mission operations for our ground and flight crews, making it one of the most complex and ambitious missions NASA has ever undertaken,” said Jeremy Parsons, Artemis program manager. “The demonstration mission will set the stage before our next giant leap. NASA’s expertise in systems engineering and integration, as well as launch and mission operations in low Earth orbit, will bring the mission together.”
Rehearsing Future Dual Launch Missions
On later crewed Moon missions, NASA and one of its commercial partners will use a “dual launch campaign.” The lunar lander will be placed in orbit first, where it will wait for the astronauts arriving aboard Orion after launching on SLS.
Sending three rockets into space in succession during Artemis III will give NASA and its partners an unusual opportunity to practice the launch preparation and operational timing required for that future mission architecture.
Blue Origin’s test lander is expected to launch first. It will be capable of remaining in orbit for as long as 30 days, giving teams time to inspect and test the spacecraft before SLS and Orion lift off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Blue Origin spacecraft will follow a planned trajectory into a designated “parking” orbit, where its systems can be checked.
After Blue Origin completes its rendezvous and docking tests, and after the Artemis III crew launches aboard SLS, SpaceX will send its Starship test article into orbit. Starship will then rendezvous with Orion for the second phase of testing.
Orion will remain in a circular orbit throughout the mission. Because the spacecraft are operating in Earth orbit rather than traveling to the Moon, all three rockets will have more potential launch opportunities. Each rocket will also be able to reach the required altitude in a single launch.
Orion Will Serve as the Chaser Spacecraft
During each docking and undocking sequence, the lander prototype will act as the target while Orion serves as the chaser spacecraft. NASA plans to use the same arrangement during future missions that carry astronauts to the lunar surface.
Before Artemis III begins, NASA will verify that both lander test articles are ready for the mission and safe to approach with a crewed Orion spacecraft. The reviews will examine whether the hardware and software meet performance requirements and whether appropriate hazard controls are in place.
These checks are intended to protect the Artemis III astronauts while they remain inside Orion during both docking tests.
Docking Systems Have Already Been Tested on Earth
SpaceX and Blue Origin have conducted ground testing of the docking systems designed for their respective landers. SpaceX qualified its docking capability in 2023. Blue Origin performed developmental ground tests of its pressurized docking system earlier this year.
The two landers will connect to Orion in very different ways. Orion will dock to the side of the Blue Moon test lander near its crew cabin. During the later SpaceX test, Orion and the much larger Starship will connect nose-to-nose.
Testing How Different Spacecraft Work Together
The mission will test whether Orion and the commercial lander prototypes can use their software to reach the same precise location at the correct time.
After Orion docks with Blue Moon, Orion’s software will control the combined spacecraft. During the Starship portion of the mission, the SpaceX test article will control the connected vehicles.
NASA and its commercial partners will use both docking phases to study how well the spacecraft hardware and software work together. They will also examine the movement and behavior of each combined Orion and lander configuration in space.
Through the Artemis program, NASA plans to send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits while establishing the experience and technology needed for the first crewed missions to Mars, for the benefit of all.