The Artemis III mission is set to launch in 2027 to test two lunar landers: SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. During this mission, NASA will evaluate the Orion spacecraft’s ability to dock with these landers while in orbit, followed by a series of system tests.
The mission will begin with the launch of Blue Moon aboard a New Glenn rocket, shortly followed by the launch of Orion on an SLS rocket. Three days later, Orion will attempt to dock with Blue Moon; system tests will be conducted over the course of two days before the two vehicles undock.
Subsequently, SpaceX’s Starship will be launched into orbit to dock with Orion. This test will last only two hours, as the crew habitat section of the Starship is not yet complete. Following this, Orion will undock, and the crew will spend several days testing Orion’s systems before returning to Earth.
Artemis III will be NASA’s most complex mission to date, requiring three rocket launches within a short timeframe and two separate spacecraft docking tests. The entire mission is expected to last up to 14 days, though it could be extended to 17 days if necessary.
NASA still plans to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028 via the Artemis IV mission—marking the first time humans have set foot on the Moon since 1971. The Artemis program has faced several delays due to Starship failing to perform as expected. Consequently, NASA has selected Blue Origin to provide a backup system, serving as a contingency should SpaceX once again fail to meet the established mission timeline.
