NASA has set out a redesigned Artemis III mission for 2027 that will keep its crew in Earth orbit while testing how the Orion spacecraft works with separate lunar-lander demonstrators from Blue Origin and SpaceX.
The planned 14-day flight will involve three spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets. NASA says the campaign is intended to reduce risk and build operational experience before attempting to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028.
What will Artemis III now do?
Four astronauts will launch aboard Orion and conduct rendezvous, docking and habitation demonstrations in low Earth orbit. The mission will first meet a test version of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 lander, then later conduct a shorter docking demonstration with a SpaceX Starship test article.
This is not a lunar landing mission. It is an integrated test designed to show that vehicles built by different organisations can find one another, communicate, dock and operate safely as a combined system.
How will the Blue Moon test work?
Blue Origin is expected to launch its lander demonstrator first into a circular orbit. Once its condition is confirmed, NASA will launch Orion aboard the Space Launch System. The crew will gradually manoeuvre Orion to the lander and dock.
Astronauts are expected to enter the Blue Moon test cabin for about two days, assessing its atmosphere, controls, life-support functions and crew operations. Engineers will study the performance of software, guidance, communications and other integrated systems under real flight conditions.
What will NASA test with Starship?
After Orion leaves the Blue Moon demonstrator, SpaceX is due to launch a Starship Version 3 test article into a lower orbit. Orion will rendezvous and dock with it during a demonstration expected to last up to two hours.
The crew will not enter Starship during this phase. The focus is the behaviour of the docked vehicles, including communications, software, control and the dynamics of docking and undocking. The two tests also use different docking geometries, giving NASA data on more than one operational approach.
Why test in Earth orbit first?
Earth orbit allows engineers to study complex interactions while keeping crews closer to established support and recovery systems. Problems with interfaces are often difficult to reproduce fully on the ground, especially when guidance software, propulsion, communications and human procedures must work together.
The approach separates the challenge of proving interoperability from the later challenge of operating near and on the Moon. It does not eliminate risk, but it can reveal problems before a landing mission has much narrower margins.
What does the change mean for the lunar timetable?
NASA continues to target a crewed return to the lunar surface in 2028. Meeting that goal will depend on the Artemis III test results, separate uncrewed demonstrations, launch readiness and continued progress by all participating programmes.
The most informative milestones will be hardware completion, integrated tests and successful launches rather than schedule statements alone. Coordinating three rockets and spacecraft within a short campaign will itself be a substantial operational test.
Reporting basis
This article is based on NASA’s 23 October 2026 mission description and the agency’s Artemis III updates page. Plans may change as testing and mission reviews continue.
Featured image: NASA via Unsplash.