posted 04-11-2026 09:54 AM               

Please use this topic to discuss NASA's Artemis III mission, an Earth orbit rendezvous mission between the Orion spacecraft and available human landing systems.

posted 04-11-2026 11:44 AM               

Blue Origin just completed vacuum tests of its Mark I lunar lander that they plan to send to the moon later this year. That vehicle is going to test tank designs and avionics to be incorporated into the larger Mark II that is their Artemis HLS (human landing system).

The company also is pulling from its New Shepard team for life support and cabin design development.

posted 04-21-2026 09:51 AM               

NASA moved the core stage, or the largest section, of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027 from the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency's Pegasus barge in New Orleans on April 20.

posted 04-28-2026 08:49 AM               

When NASA revealed the revised Artemis III flight plan in February, officials suggested it might launch as soon as mid-2027, followed by up to two Artemis missions to the lunar surface in 2028...

Now, it's looking more like late 2027, at the earliest, for Artemis III.

"I've received responses from both vendors, both SpaceX and Blue Origin, to meet our needs for a late 2027 rendezvous, docking, and test of the interoperability of both landers in advance of a landing attempt in 2028," Isaacman said Monday.

posted 04-28-2026 01:54 PM               

With such different approaches to the landing system how do you design and train for a complex orbital docking and manoeuvring test flight, not knowing which system will be used?

posted 04-28-2026 02:58 PM               

It is not clear how long NASA will wait for a second lander to be ready before deciding to fly with just one, or if Starship gets preference given it had the contract for an Artemis III landing.

posted 04-28-2026 08:46 PM               

Rima Bode II is close to the equator (thus saving fuel) and has, since 2010, become a much more scientifically attractive site. It is also on the Chinese short list of landing sites. It would be cool if we beat them there and then land at the South Pole with Artemis V.

posted 04-29-2026 10:48 PM               

History shows that it may be prudent to fly the landers first to ensure things like windows blowing out and structural integrity can be maintained before putting people in it.

It seems that Blue Origin is further along in its vehicle development, but this is only based on what information each has shared. If Blue Origin gets past the NG-3 problems and is cleared for flight, do they have the hardware, and can they do an uncrewed test flight of a crew design before any planned Artemis III flight?

posted 04-30-2026 09:35 AM               

The agency has provided very little information with regards to the flight profile and objectives for the mission. All that has been confirmed is that it will be an Earth orbit mission with one or two of the human landing system vehicles to test rendezvous and docking techniques.

There has been no mention of the Artemis III crew entering the lander(s), or the lander(s) being anything more than a target for Orion.

Blue Origin is preparing to launch its Mark 1 Blue Moon lander to land on the moon later this year. Its Mark 2 will be used to land humans and the vehicle that flies on Artemis III is expected to be closer to a Mark 2 than a Mark 1.

posted 05-03-2026 11:23 PM               

What are the NASA expectations regarding the flight testing of either system before putting crew on board? Does NASA or the FAA have a standard for qualifying spacecraft that carry people to the Moon?

We are already in Q2 of 2026. SpaceX has not flown its Block 3 Super Heavy launch vehicle or its lunar lander prototype. The Super Heavy has not yet put anything into a stable orbit; they have not done on-orbit rendezvous or refueling, which must be done before SpaceX can confirm how many refuelings they need to do to achieve a lunar landing. How many test flights do they need before they have successfully tested their lunar lander in space, including the life support, rendezvous, and maneuverability systems, before the end of 2027?

Blue Origin is in the same boat and has pulled people from the New Shepard program to work on the lunar program; at the same time, they have announced a significant ramping up of operations. They are also making changes to the New Glenn booster and second stage, which will require flight testing.

posted 05-26-2026 05:08 PM               

NASA to Announce Artemis III Crew, Provide Mission Progress Update

NASA will provide an update on the agency's Artemis III mission and announce the astronauts assigned to the test flight during a live event at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The event will stream on NASA+ and on the agency's YouTube channel.

Artemis III will launch four astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The mission will test critical rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems needed to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface. Building on the successful Artemis II crewed test flight in April, Artemis III will pave the way for future surface missions.

posted 06-09-2026 07:29 AM               

Tune in on Tuesday, June 9, at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 UTC) to meet the astronauts flying aboard Artemis III, the mission that will test rendezvous and docking capabilities with commercial landers in low Earth orbit. Commercial landers are needed to bring astronauts to the lunar surface during future Artemis missions.

posted 06-09-2026 11:06 AM               

• Randy Bresnik, commander
  
• Luca Parmitano, pilot
  
• Frank Rubio, mission specialist
  
• Andre Douglas, mission specialist

posted 06-09-2026 03:52 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SpaceAngel:
why weren't any women chosen for this mission?

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"Most qualified" for this mission profile based on available candidate pool was likely the selection criteria. Doesnt suggest women were excluded from consideration nor indicate women will not continue to fly on subsequent Artemis missions (may turn out next go around "most qualified" for Artemis IV's commander happens to be a female).

posted 06-10-2026 08:55 AM               

Why are there no women assigned to Artemis III?

I have seen reactions ranging from disappointment to outrage. I have personally been to space twice with 50% female crews. My closest advisors and some of the smartest engineers I know are women. In our latest NASA leadership organization, nearly 50% of the Center Directors and Mission Directorate leadership are women. The last astronaut candidate class selected under this Administration was majority female because they were the best of the best, including one astronaut I previously went to space with.

In a world with so much controversy, I hope this can be a moment where we celebrate the astronauts selected, respect the integrity of the process, and recognize the extraordinary depth of talent across the entire corps. The crew selection does not involve any political appointees. The Astronaut Office assigns the crew that gives the mission the best chance of meeting its objectives, taking into account many factors, including the background and expertise of the astronauts, such as test pilot experience, development work on specific programs, and availability. For example, those raising this concern may not be aware of the pipeline of crews already preparing to launch to the Space Station, or those who have been undergoing lunar-specific training that would be a better fit for a future surface mission.

The Artemis III astronauts are experienced, qualified, and deserve to be celebrated for the mission they have been assigned, just as the crews that follow will be celebrated when their time comes. We have an extraordinary astronaut corps, and every mission and every crew is part of a larger campaign to get America back to the Moon and to build the future we all dreamed about as children.

What are the objectives for Artemis III if both landers will not be fully ready?

Coming off a highly successful lunar mission like Artemis II, it is not surprising that the bar is set high for Artemis III. I think it is important to understand how difficult and dangerous it is to land astronauts on the Moon. We have not done it in a very long time, and we want to draw from a past playbook for success. That means getting into a cadence of launching, learning, and rolling improvements into the next mission.

First and foremost, it is imperative for SLS to be flying with some frequency for operational currency and, honestly, safety. Earlier this year, it was very clear across NASA leadership that an additional mission was necessary in 2027. It is also imperative to gain interoperability data from rendezvous and docking with landers in Earth orbit. We do not need those landers that are still in development to be fully capable and certified for landing on the Moon on Artemis III, but we do need to test certain systems and controllability. Not to mention, we are moving quickly into a future where we do not require a single rocket to bring everything necessary for a mission to space, and as such, gaining experience with multi-launch campaigns and on-orbit assembly is directionally correct.

The Blue Origin test lander for Artemis III will incorporate many of the most important systems and subsystems that have not previously been operated by the provider, including ECLSS in a crew cabin, and other avionics. With SpaceX, they have demonstrated many of those capabilities continuously on Crew Dragon, but other controllability tests are important based on the negative-X axis acceleration that will be necessary when Starship undertakes the TLI burn to the Moon with a docked Orion.

After Artemis III, we will learn a lot and roll in further improvements, be that hardware, software, or procedural updates, as both providers undertake end-to-end uncrewed demonstrations to the surface in 2028, in advance of Artemis IV, where NASA astronauts will finally complete the grand return to the Moon.

As I said in my remarks yesterday, when Gene Cernan left the lunar surface on Apollo 17, he said, “We leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.” We are returning, and we are doing so with the fire carried forward from Apollo, the lessons learned from Artemis II, the crew of Artemis III, and all those who will follow. NASA will send the very best crews for the right missions. If the composition of our astronaut corps and our latest class of candidates says anything, it is that we have exactly the talent required to get the job done.

Godspeed Artemis III, and all those who will follow.

posted 06-10-2026 06:37 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SpaceAholic:
Do find it interesting that NASA has adjusted its risk appetite with a single backup crew member.

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posted 06-10-2026 11:25 PM               

On Artemis II, it would appear that the Canadian Space Agency wanted to make sure that a Canadian flew on that mission (and gained training experience at the same time), so appointed one of its own astronauts (Jenni Gibbons) to backup Jeremy Hansen.

posted 06-19-2026 12:57 PM               

Training is underway! The Artemis III astronauts have begun preparing for their mission, starting with familiarization of their spacecraft inside a full-scale Orion mockup at Johnson's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.