NASA has restructured Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, from a mission to send astronauts to the lunar surface into a demonstration that connects two commercial landers to Orion in low Earth orbit. Blue Origin's Blue Moon, NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion, and SpaceX's Starship will fly in close succession, with a crew of four performing rendezvous and docking with the two vehicles separately. The actual lunar landing has been pushed to Artemis IV, targeted for early 2028. The success criteria for Artemis III have shifted from reaching the Moon to reliably connecting spacecraft from different companies within a single crewed operation.
This change was decided by NASA on February 27, 2026, and announced in March. In a detailed briefing on July 15, NASA revealed its plan to launch three large rockets from multiple launch pads in rapid succession, along with the roles of the two docking tests. Artemis Program Manager Jeremy Parsons described this mission—which involves both ground and flight operations—as one of the most complex and ambitious undertakings.
Moon Landing Moves to Artemis IV, III Becomes a Low Earth Orbit Demonstration
Artemis III will carry a crew of four: Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio. SLS will carry Orion to low Earth orbit, and after checking out Orion, the crew will approach the commercial lander test vehicles. Under the plan NASA announced in June, the crew is expected to spend approximately two weeks in space. However, the actual total duration will depend on how the launch, rendezvous, and docking operations proceed.
The reason for choosing low Earth orbit is that it offers more launch opportunities for each element than a flight toward the Moon would. According to NASA, all three rockets can reach their designated altitudes with a single launch. Artemis III will confirm the two rendezvous-and-docking operations and integrated operations near Earth, using the results as a basis for decisions ahead of the actual lunar landing.
Even so, a successful low Earth orbit demonstration does not guarantee a successful lunar landing. What Artemis III will confirm is rendezvous and docking, control of the docked configuration, communications, and crew module operations. Lunar surface landing, lander operations in lunar orbit, and crew transfer to Starship will not be demonstrated on this flight. NASA has indicated it will select the Artemis IV lander from among providers that are ready.
Flying Three Vehicles in Rapid Succession
The launch order will be Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 test vehicle, Orion atop SLS, and then SpaceX's Starship test vehicle. Blue Moon will reach orbit first and can wait there for up to 30 days. This allows time to inspect the vehicle before SLS launches, giving Orion's crew an opportunity to verify the lander's condition before docking with Blue Moon.
Orion is planned to remain docked with Blue Moon for approximately two days, during which up to two astronauts will enter the vehicle. The Blue Moon test vehicle will carry key avionics, flight software, and control systems closely resembling those of the future crewed Mark 2 lander. The environmental control and life support systems and crew module will also be verified in flight. The lander will also carry mass simulators of lunar surface spacesuits equipped with sensors, to gather environmental data from the crew module. The goal is to collect data confirming the connection between Orion and the crew-occupied module before flying an actual lunar landing vehicle.
Once work with Blue Moon is complete, Orion will undock and wait for Starship. SpaceX will then launch a test vehicle based on Starship Version 3. Successfully executing three launches in sequence requires not only readiness of the rockets and launch pads but also synchronized work between launch teams and mission control centers. Data exchange between networks and key sites around the world is also part of what this demonstration will test. The mission's unique burden lies in running in-flight docking tests and ground preparations simultaneously.
Two Dockings, Testing Different Things
The two docking operations are not tests of the same maneuver repeated. With Blue Moon, Orion will dock alongside the crew module, and the combined vehicle will be controlled using Orion's software. Astronauts will open the hatch and enter the vehicle, verifying conditions for crewed operations including life support systems and avionics. The significance of using a test vehicle closely modeled on the future crewed lander lies in this stage.
With Starship, both the docking location and the party responsible for control will differ. The 52-meter-long Starship Version 3 test vehicle will have a docking mechanism added to its nose, connecting nose-to-nose with Orion. The combined configuration will be controlled by the Starship test vehicle, and NASA and SpaceX will evaluate the controllability and communications of the integrated configuration. The crew will not transfer to Starship. The priority is to first confirm that Orion can safely dock with the massive vehicle and how the combined spacecraft behaves after docking.
According to the plan, the docking with Starship will last approximately one day, after which Orion will undock and return for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Rather than comparing the two landers under the same conditions, the design tests the crew module with Blue Moon and integrated control with a large vehicle with Starship. Because the two companies have different technical paths toward future lunar landings, their respective connections with Orion are being verified separately in Earth orbit.
Decision Criteria Remaining Before the 2028 Lunar Landing
What NASA will test first with Artemis III is the operational integration of a crewed vehicle and commercial landers into a single flight plan. The duration Blue Moon can wait in orbit, Orion's checkout after SLS launch, the two rendezvous operations, and the switching of control after docking will all be tested in a continuous sequence in low Earth orbit. Testing lander operations in lunar orbit is not within the scope of this mission.
Can the three rockets be launched in sequence as planned? Can the rendezvous, docking, and integrated operations be completed? NASA has carved out Artemis III as a pre-landing demonstration. Whether the roughly two weeks in 2027 can show that the launches, vehicles, mission control, and crew operations functioned together as a continuous sequence will serve as the basis for the decision on the crewed lunar landing targeted for 2028.