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NASA details Artemis III as 2027 Earth-orbit lander docking test
NASA said Artemis III, targeted for 2027, will send four astronauts to low Earth orbit to dock Orion with Blue Origin and SpaceX lander test articles before a 2028 lunar landing attempt [1].
- Space.com and ClickOrlando are now reporting this
- New headline Was: “NASA sets Artemis III as 2027 Earth-orbit test of two Moon landers”
- Our desk updated its story
NASA on Friday outlined Artemis III as a 2027 test flight in low Earth orbit, not a Moon landing, in which four astronauts would practice docking Orion with test versions of commercial lunar landers1,2.
The crew named by NASA is Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano1,2. NASA said the planned mission is about 14 days and is meant to cut risk before a crewed landing near the lunar south pole in 20281. Space.com said the flight could last as long as 17 days2.
NASA said three spacecraft would launch on three rockets: Blue Origin would send a Blue Moon Mark 2 test article into orbit first, then SLS would launch Orion from Kennedy Space Center days later, and SpaceX would later launch a Starship Version 3 test article1,2. Space.com said those rockets are SLS, Starship and New Glenn, all from Florida's Space Coast2.
After checkout, the crew would rendezvous with the Blue Moon test vehicle, open the hatch and spend about two days inside evaluating cabin, controls and life support, NASA said1,2. Orion would then undock and later dock with Starship for a demonstration expected to last up to about two hours; NASA said the crew would not enter Starship1,2.
ClickOrlando reported NASA still targets a summer 2027 launch3. Space.com said no firm liftoff date was announced and noted an internal memo last month in which Administrator Jared Isaacman told employees Artemis III was about 90 days behind2. Isaacman said at the briefing the agency was moving with speed, Space.com reported2. ClickOrlando quoted him saying the agency would not accept that great achievements simply require more time and money3.
Isaacman said NASA is keeping both Blue Origin and SpaceX paths open for a 2028 surface mission, according to Space.com2. Parsons said both providers are planning lunar landing missions in 20282. Remaining unknowns include an exact launch date and which lander would fly first with crew to the Moon2,3.
Sources
How it’s being reported
3 versions from 2 sourcesNASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations
Risk reduction, three-rocket choreography, crew entry into Blue Moon, and no crew entry into Starship.
NASA described Artemis III as a 2027, about 14-day low Earth orbit flight to practice docking Orion with Blue Origin and SpaceX lander test vehicles.
Leaves out Administrator comments on schedule pressure reported by Space.com and ClickOrlando.
NASA lays out plan for Artemis 3 moon-lander test flight —but when will it launch?
Briefing quotes, orbital altitudes, and uncertainty over which lander flies first on Artemis IV.
Space.com covered a Kennedy Space Center briefing, quoting Parsons on a three-rocket campaign and noting no firm launch date beyond summer 2027.
Leaves out Some in-cabin science details in NASA's written account.
Artemis III on schedule for summer 2027 launch
Schedule confidence and processing-time cuts at Kennedy.
Local Florida coverage said NASA still targets summer 2027 and quoted Isaacman rejecting more time and money as the default.
Leaves out Docking sequence and lander architecture details.