NASA Plans 14-Day Artemis III Mission to Test Lunar Systems in Earth Orbit

NASA plans Artemis III as a crewed mission to low Earth orbit in 2027. The agency says the flight will test systems and operating procedures for future missions to the Moon, including planned crewed landings near the lunar south pole in 2028.

The planned Artemis III mission could last up to 14 days.

Key details

NASA identifies the planned crew as astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. The mission could last up to 14 days. NASA plans to launch Orion aboard the Space Launch System from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, subject to readiness. After a Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 2 test vehicle launches, Orion is planned to launch days later and rendezvous with it in Earth orbit. The crew would spend about two days assessing the Blue Moon vehicle after docking. NASA also plans a separate Orion docking demonstration with a SpaceX Starship Version 3 test vehicle. That test is expected to last up to two hours, and NASA does not expect the crew to enter Starship. Orion and its crew are planned to return by splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California, where NASA personnel and the U S. Navy are expected to recover them.

Why it matters

Artemis III would let NASA and its partners test rendezvous, docking and vehicle-assessment procedures in Earth orbit before planned crewed lunar landings. For commercial aviation readers, the mission also offers a clear example of how crewed spaceflight depends on coordinated launch, spacecraft operations and recovery across government and commercial partners.

What happens next

NASA plans Artemis III for 2027, with the Blue Moon test vehicle scheduled to launch before Orion. The agency has described crewed lunar landings near the Moon’s south pole as a planned 2028 milestone. Both dates remain future plans.