Artemis III
- 01-02-2026 The original intention was for the astronauts of Artemis III to land on the moon. In February 2026, it was decided to increase the frequency of launches to retain more knowledge and experience within NASA. Artemis II was added as an additional mission to precede the Artemis landing mission. Focus Artemis III: Docking en integration.
- 28-04-2026 Artemis III Core Stages (Boeing) arrives at KSC.
- 02-07-2026 The primary objective of NASA’s Artemis III mission, planned for launch in 2027, is to perform crucial in-flight testing of complex commercial lunar landing systems. Following a major program restructuring by NASA, the four-person crew will not land on the Moon but will instead execute a vital “dress rehearsal” in low Earth orbit. By launching aboard the Orion spacecraft, the mission focuses on validating the technology necessary to reduce risks before human explorers return to the lunar surface.
- 09-06-2026 Crew of Artemis III officially announced:
- Commander Randy Bresnik (USA)
- Pilot Luca Parmitano (ESA/Italy)
- Mission Specialist Andre Douglas (USA)M
- ission Specialist Frank Rubio (USA)
- 02-07-2026 During this two-week orbital test flight, the main technical focus centers on rendezvous and docking procedures. The astronauts will integrate the Orion spacecraft with prototype Human Landing Systems (HLS) developed by commercial partners such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Conducting these integrated operations in Earth orbit allows engineers to safely evaluate crew transfer maneuvers, space suit interfaces, and multi-vehicle communication systems in a controlled space environment.
- 02-07-2026 Successfully achieving these demonstration targets is fundamental to the long-term survival of the broader Artemis architecture. The data collected from these proximity maneuvers and docking tests will directly pave the way for the next phase of deep-space exploration. Ultimately, the technological insights verified during Artemis III will establish the foundation for Artemis IV to execute the actual crewed landing on the lunar South Pole.
08-07-2026 Mission Objective: Demonstrate Critical Systems for Lunar Landing
Footnote
- Sources: Aerospace dashboard, funkystuff.org
- Outgoing: NASA
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