Nasa’s Isaacman shares Artemis IV update as SpaceX, Blue Origin plan Moon base

The most important update is that Artemis remains on track for docking exercises involving lunar landers from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin next year. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced the plan at Kennedy Space Center. The exercises are part of preparations for returning astronauts to the Moon.

Three launches will happen in quick succession from Cape Canaveral. Orion will first dock with Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost about 270 miles above Earth. It will then dock with SpaceX’s Starship at a slightly lower altitude. Three NASA astronauts and one Italian will take part aboard Orion.

NASA plans to keep its options open before selecting SpaceX or Blue Origin for the Artemis IV lunar lander, scheduled for 2028. Isaacman said slow progress has made the new lunar race closer than necessary. The docking exercises are therefore an ambitious test of readiness.

A lunar lander is a spacecraft built to transport astronauts, equipment, or both between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface. It must operate in the Moon’s environment and support a landing mission. The source focuses on landers as the vehicles NASA may use for future Artemis missions.

During the planned exercises, Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost and SpaceX’s Starship will serve as docking targets for Orion. Orion will dock first with Blue Ghost, about 270 miles above Earth, then with Starship at a slightly lower altitude. The astronauts will practice these operations in orbit.

The article describes the spacecraft as part of a future Moon-base effort, but it does not explain each lander’s detailed landing design. NASA is keeping both companies in consideration for the Artemis IV lunar lander, scheduled for 2028. Thus, the exercises help demonstrate how the vehicles work together before a later choice.

The planned exercise involves three launches in quick succession from Cape Canaveral. It will carry three NASA astronauts and one Italian, making four people aboard NASA’s Orion capsule. The scale reflects a coordinated test rather than a single launch and rendezvous.

Three spacecraft are central to the docking sequence: Orion, Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost, and SpaceX’s Starship. Orion will dock first with Blue Ghost at about 270 miles, or 435 kilometers, above Earth. It will then dock with Starship at a slightly lower altitude.

The article presents these numbers as part of an ambitious Artemis preparation effort. The landers are expected to launch next year for docking practice. NASA also plans to keep its choice open between SpaceX and Blue Origin for Artemis IV, which is scheduled for 2028. The exercise therefore tests multiple vehicles, launches, and crew operations together.

NASA will practice docking before choosing between SpaceX and Blue Origin because both companies are still being considered for Artemis IV. The exercises provide a real mission setting for checking coordination among Orion, the landers, launch teams, and astronauts. The source does not list a formal selection test, so this operational purpose is an established explanation.

The sequence offers a concrete comparison. Orion will dock with Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost about 270 miles above Earth, then with SpaceX’s Starship at a slightly lower altitude. Three astronauts and one Italian will conduct the practice after three launches from Cape Canaveral.

NASA intends to keep its options open as long as possible. Artemis IV is scheduled for 2028, so the agency has time to gather experience before selecting a lander. The outcome could shape which company supports that mission and help NASA manage the risks of an ambitious lunar campaign.

NASA plans to establish a Moon base near the lunar south pole, rather than near the more equatorial locations visited by Apollo missions. This marks a different geographic focus for Artemis. The south-pole target is stated clearly, but the article does not explain the scientific, engineering, or resource-related reasons behind it.

The contrast is important because Artemis is not simply repeating Apollo’s landing geography. The planned landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin will support a new campaign involving Orion, docking exercises, and later lunar missions. NASA describes the broader effort as preparation for a Moon base.

For now, the article provides no further details about the south-pole site or its advantages. It does establish that the location will be part of a future lunar effort involving both companies. The next immediate step is orbital docking practice next year, not a south-pole landing described in detail here.

Artemis builds on Apollo by pursuing another crewed lunar landing program, while using a familiar NASA approach to flight testing and mission progression. Jared Isaacman called this approach a playbook the agency knows well. He pointed to NASA’s past movement from Apollo 7’s splashdown to Apollo 11 in just nine months.

That comparison highlights the pace NASA believes is possible. Artemis II has already completed a successful flight around the Moon with four astronauts. Next year, Orion is expected to practice docking with Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost and SpaceX’s Starship, creating another step toward future lunar missions.

Isaacman said the new space race will be closer than it needed to be because progress was slow in earlier years. His Apollo comparison is therefore both historical and cautionary. NASA wants to use its experience while moving faster, with Artemis IV’s lunar lander decision still expected before the mission scheduled for 2028.

Rockets place spacecraft into orbit by burning propellant and accelerating upward and sideways. The sideways speed is crucial: it lets the spacecraft continually fall around Earth instead of dropping straight back down. Once the planned altitude and speed are reached, the spacecraft can coast in orbit. These mechanics are general spaceflight knowledge, not explained in the article.

Docking is harder than simply reaching the same altitude. Two spacecraft must travel on closely matched paths, speeds, and positions. The approaching vehicle makes small, controlled maneuvers to close the distance without colliding. Orion’s planned sequence illustrates this challenge: it will dock with Blue Origin’s Blue Ghost, then with SpaceX’s Starship.

The exercises matter because they give astronauts and flight teams practice with those precise operations. The article says the launches will occur in quick succession, with docking at different altitudes. Successful tests would support NASA’s broader Artemis preparations, although the source does not provide technical docking procedures.