NASA advances Artemis program toward 2028 Moon landing

NASA is advancing its Artemis program with the goal of returning humans to the Moon. Current technical preparations include fitting booster segments for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, are designed to provide over 75 percent of the rocket’s total launch thrust.

The program follows the successful Artemis II test flight, which saw astronauts fly around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft. Future milestones include the Artemis III mission, which will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft.

The Artemis IV mission, targeted for early 2028, aims to implement a more distributed approach to lunar travel compared to the Apollo era. Instead of a single rocket stack, the mission will involve multiple spacecraft working in coordination: four astronauts will launch aboard the Orion spacecraft on the SLS, while a separate lunar lander will rendezvous with them in lunar orbit to facilitate the descent to the surface.