NASA is preparing for future astronaut landings on the Moon with a major orbital rehearsal planned for 2027. During the Artemis III demonstration mission, crews in space and teams on Earth will practice rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and commercially developed lunar landers.
The information gathered during Artemis III, together with data from future uncrewed demonstrations near the Moon, will help NASA improve astronaut safety and reduce risks before crewed lunar landings begin in 2028.
Two Commercial Landers Will Join Artemis III
NASA has partnered with SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop human landing systems capable of carrying astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon's surface and returning them to orbit.
For Artemis III, both companies will launch test versions, known as test articles, of the landers intended for later crewed missions. Commercial rockets will carry the two lander prototypes into space. The Artemis III astronauts will travel separately to low Earth orbit aboard Orion, launched on NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
