NASA’s 2027 Artemis III mission will test two lunar landers in Earth orbit before Moon landing

Crew to dock with Blue Origin and SpaceX test articles during a 14-day orbital campaign

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published23 October 2026

Updated24 October 2026

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NASA has detailed plans for its Artemis III mission, a 2027 test flight in low Earth orbit that will see four astronauts conduct rendezvous, docking and habitability demonstrations with test versions of lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, before the agency attempts a crewed landing near the Moon’s South Pole in 2028.

NASA has laid out the operational plan for Artemis III, a complex test mission in low Earth orbit scheduled for 2027. The mission will send astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft to rehearse procedures essential for a future lunar landing.

“Every piece of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before we put astronauts back on the Moon,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager. “We’re launching three spacecraft on three different rockets and testing how they operate together — something NASA has never attempted. Every lesson we learn here gets us closer to landing on the Moon in 2028.”

The 14-day campaign begins with Blue Origin launching a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into a circular orbit approximately 273 miles (237 nautical miles) above Earth. The Orion spacecraft, launched on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will then perform a series of manoeuvres to rendezvous and dock with the Blue Moon test article. Astronauts will enter the Blue Moon cabin for about two days, evaluating its life-support systems, controls and avionics.

After undocking, Orion will reposition for a second rendezvous, this time with a Starship Version 3 test article launched by SpaceX. The docking demonstration with Starship, expected to last up to two hours, will focus on validating how the two spacecraft interact as a docked system. Crew will not enter Starship. The two docking campaigns allow NASA to assess how Orion interfaces with two different commercial lander architectures in a single mission.

Once docking activities are complete, Orion will have up to five additional days in orbit for further tests, including evaluations of the Orion Crew Survival System suits, docking sensor tests, acoustic and thermal measurements, and a health-assessment proof-of-concept study for scenarios without direct contact with mission control. The mission will also test concepts for returning lunar samples to Earth and fly a cellular biology experiment.

Artemis III is designed as a risk-reduction step ahead of the planned 2028 crewed landing near the Moon’s South Pole. The mission involves three spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets within a short period, a first for NASA.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The mission is a critical precursor to returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo, testing hardware and procedures that will be used for lunar landings.
It demonstrates NASA’s reliance on commercial partners (Blue Origin and SpaceX) for human landing systems, shaping the future of public-private space exploration.
The operations in Earth orbit provide a low-risk environment to validate rendezvous, docking and life-support before committing to a lunar landing.

Background

The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, with NASA planning to land astronauts near the South Pole in 2028. Earlier Artemis I and II missions tested the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket; Artemis II is a crewed lunar flyby. Artemis III represents the first time NASA will test specific lunar landing systems with crew in orbit, using test articles rather than actual landers. Both Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship are being developed under NASA’s Human Landing System contracts. The mission’s complexity, launching three vehicles on three rockets, is unprecedented for NASA.

What to Watch

The launch schedule in 2027, which requires precise timing between the Blue Moon, Orion and Starship launches.
How well the software, guidance and communications systems of Orion and each lander perform during docking operations.
Whether the test data leads to any design changes for the actual lunar landers before the 2028 landing attempt.

Sources

NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations · NASA
NASA adopting Apollo’s urgency to build a moon base and land astronauts within two years · Philadelphia Inquirer

Checked

8 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

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Partly supportedArtemis III will test two lunar landers in Earth orbit before a Moon landing.NASA: “Artemis III will send NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft into low Earth orbit to perform a series of demonstrations with test versions, or test articles, of human landing systems being developed by industry partners Blue Origin and SpaceX.”
SupportedArtemis III is a 2027 test flight in low Earth orbit involving four astronauts and test versions of landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, ahead of a planned 2028 crewed landing near the Moon’s South Pole.NASA: “Launching in 2027, Artemis III will send NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft into low Earth orbit to perform a series of demonstrations with test versions, or test articles, of human landing systems being developed by industry partners Blue Origin and SpaceX.”
SupportedThe crew will dock with the Blue Origin and SpaceX test articles during a 14-day orbital campaign.NASA: “During the planned 14-day mission, crews and flight controllers will practice the rendezvous, docking, habitation, and operational procedures”
SupportedJeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager, said every piece of the Earth-orbit mission is designed to reduce risk before astronauts return to the Moon.NASA: ““Every piece of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before we put astronauts back on the Moon,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager.”
SupportedParsons said NASA is launching three spacecraft on three different rockets and has never attempted to test them operating together.NASA: ““We’re launching three spacecraft on three different rockets and testing how they operate together — something NASA has never attempted.”
SupportedBlue Moon’s test article will launch into an orbit approximately 273 miles (237 nautical miles) above Earth.NASA: “The mission begins with Blue Origin launching a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into a circular low Earth orbit approximately 273 miles (237 nautical miles) above Earth.”
SupportedThe Starship docking test is expected to last up to two hours, and the crew will not enter Starship.NASA: “Orion will rendezvous and dock with the spacecraft during a test expected to last up to two hours. Crew will not enter Starship during this test.”
Partly supportedThe mission’s three spacecraft will launch on three different heavy-lift rockets within a short period, a first for NASA.NASA: “Artemis III will involve three separate spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets within a relatively short period of time.”