When will SpaceX and Blue Origin fly to the moon? NASA reveals lunar lander timelines (and an Artemis III update)

SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon are being prepared for NASA’s Artemis lunar missions. Their first major program appearance is expected during Artemis III, targeted for the third quarter of 2027. That mission will test both vehicles rather than land astronauts on the moon.

Four astronauts will fly aboard Orion to low Earth orbit. There, Orion will rendezvous and dock with test versions of both landers for interoperability checkouts. SpaceX also plans an orbital propellant-transfer demonstration, while Blue Origin must complete its own lander milestones.

The results will help NASA decide which vehicle can carry astronauts during Artemis IV, targeted for early 2028. NASA still aims to land astronauts by the end of 2028, despite delays and the revised mission sequence.

NASA’s Human Landing System, or HLS, program develops spacecraft that can carry astronauts to the lunar surface. These landers are central to Artemis because Orion is described as carrying astronauts to low Earth orbit, while a separate lander must support the journey to the moon’s surface.

NASA awarded SpaceX and Blue Origin contracts to develop HLS vehicles. SpaceX is developing a lunar Starship variant, and Blue Origin is developing Blue Moon. Their designs must complete demonstrations such as orbital refueling, docking-related checks, and uncrewed lunar landing tests.

The program matters because NASA must select a vehicle for the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo ended in 1972. Artemis III will test both companies’ vehicles, and the results will inform the choice for Artemis IV.

Artemis III and Artemis IV now have different jobs. Artemis III, targeted for Q3 2027, will send four astronauts aboard Orion to low Earth orbit, where they will dock with test versions of SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. It is not currently the first crewed lunar landing.

The mission will conduct interoperability checkouts and help NASA assess both vehicles. SpaceX’s Artemis III Starship will lack a crew cabin, so astronauts will not enter it. The demonstrations are intended to provide evidence about how the landers work with Orion.

NASA shifted the first moon landing to Artemis IV, targeted for early 2028. The change followed delays and a February overhaul of the Artemis architecture. NASA said the revised plan preserves its goal of landing astronauts by the end of 2028 while adding more preparation and uncrewed tests.

A lunar Starship mission cannot simply launch once and continue to the moon. The article explains that Starship’s fuel constraints require its tanks to be topped off in orbit before the vehicle can travel beyond low Earth orbit. That makes orbital refueling a central part of the mission design.

The source does not state how many launches or refueling operations the mission will require. It does state that NASA expects SpaceX to demonstrate propellant transfer with Starship in orbit, and that both companies face more than a dozen demonstrations and milestones before Artemis IV.

Therefore, an exact total cannot be established from this article. The mission would require at least the lunar vehicle’s launch plus supporting tanker or propellant-delivery flights, but the final count depends on SpaceX’s architecture and the results of testing. Any precise figure would come from information outside the source.

NASA’s first crewed moon landing depends on evidence that at least one lander is ready. Both Starship and Blue Moon must complete development milestones, demonstrations, and uncrewed lunar landing tests before NASA can confidently select a vehicle for Artemis IV.

Artemis III is especially important. Orion will dock with test versions of both landers in low Earth orbit, allowing NASA to conduct interoperability checkouts. SpaceX must also demonstrate orbital propellant transfer, while each vehicle must eventually qualify for astronaut operations through the planned test sequence.

If either lander fails, NASA could favor the other vehicle, delay the decision, or require more testing. The article does not specify a formal failure response. It does make clear that Artemis IV is the landing mission, so unresolved problems could threaten the schedule while NASA still targets a landing by the end of 2028.

NASA plans to choose between SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon using results from a structured test campaign. The decision matters because only one vehicle is currently expected to carry astronauts on the first crewed lunar landing after the Apollo era.

During Artemis III, Orion will rendezvous and dock with test versions of both landers in low Earth orbit. NASA will conduct interoperability checkouts there. Other evidence will come from orbital refueling, uncrewed lunar landing tests, and the companies’ progress against their development milestones.

The article does not give a single scoring formula or selection date. It says the Artemis III demonstrations will help inform NASA’s determination about which lander will fly astronauts to the surface on Artemis IV, targeted for early 2028. Readiness and successful testing will therefore drive the choice.

Starship is designed for full reusability, but the article says its fuel constraints prevent a direct trip beyond low Earth orbit with the tanks as launched. It must therefore receive additional propellant in orbit before attempting a lunar mission. Orbital refueling is essential to the vehicle’s planned architecture.

The mechanism requires another spacecraft or tanker to deliver propellant to Starship while both vehicles are in orbit. SpaceX plans its first propellant-transfer demonstration with Starship, and NASA lists that demonstration among the milestones leading toward Artemis III. The source does not describe the transfer hardware in detail.

Cryogenic fuel is difficult to store because it must remain extremely cold. Heat entering the tanks can cause boil-off, reducing available propellant. In microgravity, settling and moving liquid for transfer also require careful control. These technical points are established spaceflight knowledge; the article itself only states the fuel constraint and planned demonstration.