NASA outlines revised 2028 Artemis moon landing campaign

NASA has revised Artemis to preserve a backup route to the Moon. It will delay choosing whether SpaceX or Blue Origin supplies the Artemis IV lander. That flexibility matters because supply-chain failures or major technical problems could delay either provider.

The biggest rehearsal is Artemis III, planned for next year. Four astronauts will launch to Earth orbit, dock first with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1, then dock with a SpaceX Starship upper stage. The mission requires three major rocket launches and tests critical procedures near Earth.

NASA will also use uncrewed lunar lander test flights before sending astronauts down. Officials will compare how both providers progress and wait as long as possible before deciding. Both companies are planning lunar landing missions in 2028, giving NASA more than one potential path.

The Artemis program is NASA’s effort to send astronauts back to the Moon and develop the capability for longer lunar stays. The article links it to exploring the south pole and establishing a Moon base in the 2030s. NASA also sees the program as part of a race with China.

Artemis IV is the planned crewed landing mission. NASA will launch astronauts aboard its Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule. The crew’s route to the Moon will depend on which company provides the lander: SpaceX or Blue Origin.

For SpaceX, Orion would dock with a fueled Starship lander in Earth orbit before the lander carries both spacecraft toward the Moon. For Blue Origin, Orion would travel directly toward the Moon and meet a Blue Moon Mark 2 lander in lunar orbit. Two astronauts would then descend.

The Artemis III test campaign combines three major rocket launches with two planned spacecraft rendezvous and dockings. This makes it an unusually coordinated rehearsal. NASA wants to test lunar-landing procedures close to Earth before risking astronauts on later lunar missions.

The rockets are Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship and NASA’s Space Launch System. After reaching Earth orbit, Orion’s four astronauts will dock with Blue Moon Mark 1. They will spend two days testing systems before undocking and docking with a SpaceX Starship upper stage.

The crew will not enter Starship because this version has no crew cabin. Still, NASA will practice bringing the smaller Orion capsule together with the much larger vehicle. The mission should reveal how the spacecraft interact and help NASA choose the best route toward Artemis IV.

The two plans move astronauts from Earth orbit to the Moon in different ways. SpaceX makes the lander part of a large in-orbit fueling operation. Blue Origin uses separate transfer stages to move its lander toward the Moon, while Orion approaches independently.

SpaceX would launch a propellant depot, multiple tankers and the Starship lander. After the depot is filled, the Orion capsule would dock with the waiting lander in low-Earth orbit. Starship would then boost both spacecraft toward the Moon. Two astronauts would later descend from it.

Blue Origin would launch three transfer stages on New Glenn rockets, followed by Blue Moon Mark 2. The stages would dock with the lander and propel it into lunar orbit. An SLS-launched Orion would travel directly to the Moon, rendezvous with Blue Moon, and transfer two astronauts into it for landing.

NASA wants to find weaknesses before committing astronauts to a lunar landing. The program’s revisions specifically address supply-chain problems, major technical trouble and other delays. Early testing gives engineers time to correct issues or shift toward the other lander provider.

Artemis III will let astronauts test Blue Moon Mark 1’s life support, communications and other systems. They will also practice rendezvous and docking with both Blue Moon and a much larger Starship. Uncrewed lunar lander flights will provide another test path before crewed operations.

These missions could show whether spacecraft can meet, dock and operate together as planned. They could also expose problems with communications, navigation, life support or the landers’ readiness for lunar flight. NASA will use the results to decide which provider offers the stronger path to Artemis IV in 2028.

NASA wants to land near the Moon’s south pole because the region may contain accessible ice deposits. The area is therefore important not only for exploration but also for supporting longer human stays. NASA hopes to establish a Moon base in the 2030s.

The article identifies three possible uses for lunar ice. It could help provide rocket fuel, air and water. Those resources could support astronauts and reduce the need to transport every essential supply from Earth.

NASA’s planned Artemis IV landing would help advance this goal, regardless of which lander wins the agency’s decision. The broader program is also linked to competition with China, which plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. Reaching the south pole could give NASA experience in the region targeted for future operations.

A Moon landing is difficult because vehicles must first reach Earth orbit, then leave it, travel to the Moon, enter lunar orbit and return. The article says SpaceX’s Starship versions use almost all their supercold methane and liquid oxygen just getting to low-Earth orbit. They cannot simply carry all later-flight propellant from launch.

SpaceX’s solution is orbital refueling. A depot remains in low-Earth orbit, while tanker flights bring it more propellant. Once filled, the depot supplies the Starship lander with enough fuel to break out of Earth orbit and head for the Moon. This adds several launches and precise coordination.

The lander must also rendezvous with Orion, reach lunar orbit and later launch back toward the capsule. Blue Origin uses three transfer stages instead. In both designs, staging, docking and propellant management are essential because every maneuver consumes fuel before astronauts can land and return.