Artemis III to test Moon landers in 2027

Artemis III will launch in 2027 and send four astronauts into low Earth orbit to test docking with trial versions of two commercial Moon landers before any crewed lunar landing, NASA said in mission updates published on 23 October 2026.

Artemis III: The Moon's curved limb photographed by the Artemis II crew during their flight around the far side on 6 April 2026 — The Moon's curved limb photographed by the Artemis II crew during their flight around the far side on 6 April 2026 Photo: NASA (public domain).

Who flies on Artemis III and what they will do

NASA named the crew as NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. Aboard the Orion spacecraft, they will carry out demonstrations with test articles of human landing systems built by Blue Origin and SpaceX during a planned 14-day mission. Crews and flight controllers will practise rendezvous, docking, habitation and operational procedures needed when astronauts begin landing near the Moon’s South Pole in 2028. Artemis program manager Jeremy Parsons said every part of the mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk, adding that NASA will launch three spacecraft on three different rockets and test how they work together, something it has never attempted.

Key Facts

Launch: 2027, to low Earth orbit
Planned duration: 14 days
Crew: Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano (ESA)
Lander test articles: Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX Starship
Crewed Moon landing target: 2028

“Every piece of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before we put astronauts back on the Moon.”
— Jeremy Parsons, NASA Artemis program manager

Orion spacecraft and Blue Moon Mark 2 sequence

NASA said the mission begins with Blue Origin launching a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into a circular orbit about 273 miles above Earth, where it can stay for up to 30 days. Orion will launch on the SLS rocket from Kennedy Space Center only days later, once the lander is confirmed healthy. Orion will first enter an elliptical orbit, then manoeuvre to a circular orbit of about 345 miles before setting up its rendezvous. After docking, astronauts will spend about two days evaluating the Blue Moon test article, including opening the hatch and going inside. Engineers will assess software, guidance, communications and procedures on both spacecraft in real conditions.

Starship HLS and the road to a 2028 landing

In a separate update, NASA said it and its lander providers have streamlined designs and changed concepts of operations to speed up development toward a 2028 landing. Landers and Orion will no longer meet in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon, but in orbits that differ for each partner. Under the revised plan, SpaceX’s Starship lander will wait for Orion in Earth orbit, dock with it and then push the combined stack to low lunar orbit, and NASA is modifying Orion to allow this. Both companies must fly an uncrewed demonstration before crewed Moon missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028 and establish a Moon Base. NASA will certify the lander systems before crewed missions to ensure safety and mission success, the agency said.

Why It Matters: Testing docking and lander systems close to Earth lets NASA find problems early, before astronauts depend on the same hardware near the Moon.

Source: NASA: Artemis III mission plan, 23 Oct 2026 · NASA: Lander development update, 23 Oct 2026