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[TECHNOLOGY] · United States · 40 sources

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NASA targets 2028 lunar landing with revised Artemis mission architecture

NASA has announced a revised strategy for its Artemis program, aiming to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 through the Artemis IV mission. To ensure mission success and reduce risk, the agency has restructured the upcoming Artemis III mission, now scheduled for summer 2027.

Unlike previous plans, Artemis III will serve as a crewed demonstration mission conducted in low Earth orbit rather than lunar orbit. The mission will involve four astronauts—Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and Luca Parmitano—using the Orion capsule and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to perform docking maneuvers with commercial lunar lander prototypes from SpaceX and Blue Origin.

This testing phase is designed to validate docking, communication, and life-support systems before the actual landing. NASA is maintaining a competitive approach, evaluating both SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers to determine which will be used for the Artemis IV landing. Blue Origin’s revised architecture involves four New Glenn launches to assemble its lander in Earth orbit, bypassing the need for complex orbital propellant transfers during the initial landing campaign.

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Blue Origin · Jared Isaacman · Kennedy Space Center · NASA · SpaceX

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