NASA turns Artemis III into 2027 Earth-orbit test, moves Moon landing to 2028
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The gist
NASA revised Artemis III into a 14-day Earth-orbit test flight in summer 2027, shifting the crewed Moon landing to Artemis IV in 2028.
The change adds a rehearsal step before astronauts attempt the first crewed landing since 1972.
Background
Artemis is NASA's programme to return astronauts to the Moon. Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, flew four astronauts around the Moon in April 2026. Under Administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA restructured the next mission: Artemis III, previously planned as the landing, becomes a 14-day Earth-orbit test of rendezvous and docking with lunar lander test vehicles from SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA says the 2028 Artemis IV landing target is meant to precede a planned Chinese crewed lunar landing in 2030.
How it unfolded
- Apr 1, 2026Artemis II launched on the SLS rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.
- Apr 11, 2026NASA welcomed the Artemis II crew back to Earth after the record-setting mission.
- Jun 9, 2026NASA announced the four prime Artemis III crew members and a backup at an event at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
- Oct 23, 2026NASA said Artemis III hardware was on track, with processing timelines cut by about half and a critical fuel-line component redesigned, built and tested in-house in five months.
- Oct 29, 2026NASA unveiled a revised Artemis III plan under Isaacman, turning it into a 14-day Earth-orbit test flight in summer 2027 and moving the crewed lunar landing to Artemis IV in 2028.
- Oct 30, 2026NASA firmed up Artemis III plans, baselined for 14 days next summer but possibly up to 17, with an uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn launching first from Cape Canaveral.
- Oct 31, 2026Reports said NASA will evaluate SpaceX and Blue Origin landing systems before choosing which flies on Artemis IV.
- Nov 4, 2026NASA leadership gave updates on the acceleration plans, targeting the Artemis III test flight in 2027 and the Artemis IV Moon landing in 2028.
Key terms
- Artemis III
- A planned NASA crewed mission of the Artemis program, designed as a low Earth orbit demonstration flight rather than a lunar landing.
- lunar lander
- A spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the Moon.
- SLS rocket
- An American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle used by NASA, primarily for the Artemis program.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Artemis programme manager Jeremy Parsons said everything done on Artemis III is designed to reduce risk on future lunar lander missions, and that NASA should be expected to do this kind of work.
- Caution
- NASA says the 2028 Artemis IV target is highly ambitious with almost no margin for error, though technically possible under the restructured plan.
Still unverified
The 2028 Artemis IV landing target is described as highly ambitious with almost no margin for error, though technically possible; which company's lander flies on Artemis IV will depend on Artemis III results and each company's ability to meet deadlines.