NASA lays out mad dash to test lunar landers next year

Key Points:

• NASA is accelerating preparations for a critical low-Earth orbit test mission, Artemis III, in 2027 involving two competing lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, alongside NASA’s own rocket and spacecraft systems.
• Artemis III will be a complex 14-day mission featuring multiple dockings between the Orion crewed spacecraft and experimental landers, designed to vet vehicles for the subsequent Artemis IV lunar landing planned for 2028.
• SpaceX’s Starship, a large, innovative two-part launch system, and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2, which resembles traditional lunar landers, are both undergoing extensive testing and development, with SpaceX focusing on in-orbit refueling and Blue Origin recovering from setbacks like the New Glenn rocket explosion.
• NASA is streamlining other Artemis program elements, including the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and simplified moonwalking spacesuits from Axiom, aiming to meet tight schedules while prioritizing lunar lander readiness.
• The agency remains undecided on which lander will be used for Artemis IV, emphasizing readiness amid competition with China’s advancing lunar ambitions, with Artemis IV and V slated for early and later 2028 but potentially subject to schedule shifts.