NASA is preparing for a future astronaut landing on the moon with a major orbital rehearsal planned for 2027. During the Artemis III demonstration mission, space crews and teams on Earth will practice rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and a commercially developed lunar lander.
Information collected during Artemis III, along with data from future unmanned demonstrations near the moon, will help NASA improve astronaut safety and reduce risk ahead of manned moon landings starting in 2028.
Two civilian landing craft join Artemis III
NASA has partnered with SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop a human landing system that can transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back.
With Artemis III, the companies plan to launch a test version, known as a test lander intended for later crewed missions. The commercial rocket will carry two lander prototypes into space. The Artemis III astronauts will travel separately to low Earth orbit aboard Orion, which was launched on a NASA Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Preparing hardware for a manned lunar mission
NASA has worked closely with both human landing system providers to define Artemis III’s goals and technical capabilities. As the mission approaches, SpaceX and Blue Origin are refining their plans based on available hardware and what each spacecraft can demonstrate.
SpaceX expects to fly Version 3, its latest Starship design and the basis for the future Starship HLS. Blue Origin plans to test crew cabins for human landing systems. The companies plan to use this mission to gather lessons that will guide future unmanned and manned flights to the moon.
“Each human landing system provider is taking a different approach to the Artemis III mission,” said Steve Creech, program manager for the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Ultimately, SpaceX and Blue Origin have presented an aggressive list of objectives and goals aimed at complementing the upcoming unmanned demonstration mission on the Moon, which will help us gain understanding and confidence in the spacecraft and launch vehicle in advance of manned landing. The lander prototype design will inform future development efforts and continue to mature over the next year.”
Blue Origin tests manned cabin
Blue Origin’s Blue Moon test lander is based on the architecture of the company’s current Mark 2 manned lander. This includes the key avionics, flight software, and control systems needed to conduct demonstrations related to future manned lunar flights.
Up to two Artemis III astronauts wearing orange Orion Crew Survival System suits will open the hatch and board the Blue Origin test lander. The final manned version will require many of the same systems and subsystems, including the Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS), crew cabin, and avionics.
The Blue Origin spacecraft will also carry an instrumented lunar spacesuit mass simulator. Similar to the suit “Mounikin” mannequin that flew aboard Orion during the unmanned Artemis I mission, the low-fidelity simulator will send back real-time information about conditions inside the Blue Moon cabin.
The spacecraft will dock nose-to-nose with the constellation Orion.
SpaceX’s test article is based on Starship version 3, which is currently under construction and testing. The docking system will be installed at the nose of the spacecraft at a height of 52 meters (171 feet).
This configuration will allow NASA and SpaceX to study how the Orion and Starship test landers operate as a single, connected spacecraft. The team is also selecting tests related to communications and spacecraft control. The Artemis III astronauts will remain inside Orion and will not board the starship prototype.
Three powerful rockets are launched in quick succession.
NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin plan to launch three of the world’s most powerful rockets in a relatively short period of time. The grueling schedule will test launch staff, ground processing systems, facilities, control centers, communications networks, and data sharing across several major U.S. locations.
Orion will complete two separate rendezvous and docking sequences, one for each lander prototype. Once the tests are complete, the Artemis III astronauts will return to Earth aboard Orion, where they will safely splash down in the water.
“Artemis III will be a highly choreographed dance with demanding launch sequences across multiple launch pads and equally demanding mission operations for ground and flight crews, making it one of the most complex and ambitious missions NASA has ever undertaken,” said Jeremy Parsons, Artemis program manager. “The demonstration mission will set the stage for our next big leap forward. NASA’s expertise in systems engineering and integration, as well as launch and mission operations in low Earth orbit, will bring the mission together.”
Rehearsing future dual launch missions
For subsequent manned moon missions, NASA and one of its commercial partners will use a “dual launch campaign.” The lunar module will first be placed in orbit, where it will be launched on SLS and then wait for the astronauts who will arrive aboard Orion.
Sending three rockets back to space during Artemis III will give NASA and its partners a rare opportunity to practice the launch preparation and operational timing needed for future mission structures.
Blue Origin’s test lander is scheduled to launch first. It can remain in orbit for up to 30 days, giving the team time to inspect and test the spacecraft before SLS and Orion lift off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Blue Origin spacecraft will follow its planned trajectory until it reaches a designated “parking” orbit, where it can check its systems.
After Blue Origin completes its rendezvous and docking tests and the Artemis III crew is launched on SLS, SpaceX plans to send the Starship test article into orbit. Starship will then join up with Orion for the second phase of testing.
Orion will remain in a circular orbit throughout the mission. All three rockets could have more launch opportunities because the spacecraft is operating in orbit around the Earth rather than heading to the moon. Each rocket can also reach the required altitude in a single launch.
Orion acts as a chaser spacecraft
During each docking and undocking sequence, the lander prototype will serve as the target and Orion will serve as the tracking spacecraft. NASA plans to use the same arrangement on future missions to bring astronauts to the moon.
Before launching Artemis III, NASA will ensure that both landers test articles are mission-ready and safe for approach by the manned Orion spacecraft. The review examines whether the hardware and software meet performance requirements and whether appropriate hazard controls are in place.
These checks are intended to protect the Artemis III astronauts while they remain inside Orion during both docking tests.
The docking system has already been tested on Earth
SpaceX and Blue Origin conducted ground tests of docking systems designed for their respective landers. SpaceX certified docking capability in 2023. Blue Origin conducted development ground tests of its pressurized docking system earlier this year.
The two landers connect to Orion in very different ways. Orion will dock on the side of the Blue Moon test lander near the crew compartment. A subsequent SpaceX test will put Orion and a much larger Starship nose-to-nose.
Test how different spacecraft work together
The mission will test whether Orion and a commercial lander prototype can use software to reach the same exact location at the exact time.
After Orion docks with Blue Moon, Orion’s software will control the combined spacecraft. During the Starship portion of the mission, SpaceX’s test article will control the connected vehicle.
NASA and its commercial partners plan to use both docking stages to study how well the spacecraft’s hardware and software work together. They also plan to investigate the movement and behavior of each of the Orion and lander combinations in space.
Through the Artemis program, NASA plans to send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discoveries and economic benefits, while building the experience and technology needed for the first manned mission to Mars for the benefit of all.
