When the Artemis lunar program was first conceived, the third mission would have seen astronauts step foot on the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. But as hard as getting into space …

NASA names the crew for 2027’s Artemis III Earth orbit mission testing Orion docking with Blue Origin and SpaceX landers ahead of future moon landing missions.

Orbital test flight to validate SLS, Orion, lander operations before Artemis IV touchdown

NASA’s Artemis III crew includes three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut

It'll be a key test flight before landing on the Moon.

Artemis III will launch in 2027 and test key systems and operations needed before astronauts attempt a lunar landing on Artemis IV in 2028.