NASA’s Artemis III plan calls for three rockets before a future lunar landing
NASA’s revised Artemis III plan envisions four astronauts flying aboard Orion to low Earth orbit while three spacecraft launch on separate heavy-lift rockets. The mission is intended to test commercial lunar-lander operations ahead of a crewed landing targeted for Artemis IV in 2028.
By StoryBreak
Published October 27, 2026 at 9:01 AM EDT
NASA plans to use Artemis III as a crewed test mission in 2027, with four astronauts traveling aboard the Orion spacecraft into low Earth orbit.
The mission would involve three spacecraft launched on three separate heavy-lift rockets. NASA identifies the Space Launch System as the rocket that will carry Orion and its crew. The other planned spacecraft are Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 test vehicle and SpaceX’s Starship Version 3 test vehicle.
Rather than sending astronauts to the lunar surface, NASA’s current Artemis III plan focuses on demonstrating the operations needed for future lander missions. The crew is expected to test rendezvous, docking, habitation and related mission procedures with the commercial lunar-lander pathfinders.
NASA says these demonstrations are intended to support later Artemis missions. A crewed lunar landing is currently targeted for 2028, with Artemis III serving as a preparation step for Artemis IV and future lunar-surface operations.
The plan represents a change in how Artemis III is being described: the mission is now a low-Earth-orbit test of Orion’s interaction with commercial landers, rather than the crewed lunar landing previously associated with the mission.
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