NASA Details Artemis III Lunar Lander Test Plans for SpaceX and Blue Origin

NASA Reconfigures Artemis III to Test SpaceX and Blue Origin Lunar Landers in Earth Orbit

NASA will test Blue Origin’s Blue Moon and SpaceX’s Starship modules during the Artemis III mission in the summer of 2027, with the results used to select a module for the Artemis IV mission planned for 2028, [vtm.zive.cz] informoval. The agency restructured the flight profile to mitigate technical risks, requiring the Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and Luca Parmitano to dock with both competing lander systems in low Earth orbit before committing to a final descent vehicle. Změna původního účelu mise Artemis III byla rozhodnuta v únoru téhož roku. NASA head Jared Isaacman stated that the agency wants to wait as long as possible with the final selection. Following a NASA press conference held at Kennedy Space Center featuring Jared Isaacman, Amit Kshatriya, and Jeremy Parsons, the agency announced that both competing companies plan to attempt their own lunar landings in 2028 regardless of the test results.

Orbital Docking Sequence Replaces Direct Landing

Under the revised mission plan presented at Kennedy Space Center, Artemis III will execute three rocket launches and two distinct dockings in Earth orbit [Novinky]. The sequence begins with the launch of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander on a New Glenn rocket [vtm.zive.cz]. Because the Space Launch System (SLS) needs to lift the Orion crew capsule only to Earth orbit rather than trans-lunar trajectory, NASA removed the rocket’s upper stage, utilizing the raw power of the core stage [vtm.zive.cz].

Three days after Blue Moon reaches orbit, the Orion crew will dock with the lander [vtm.zive.cz]. Astronauts will spend roughly two days aboard Blue Moon to test life support, communication, and environmental control systems [Novinky]. Orion will then undock and prepare for a two-hour proximity operations test with SpaceX’s Starship HLS, during which the crew will not enter the SpaceX vehicle [Novinky]. Artemis program manager Jeremy Parsons stated, Each part of this Earth orbit mission is designed to reduce risks before astronauts return to the Moon. Parsons added that each day of the mission has specific tests designated to reduce risks and verify necessary capabilities before future lunar landings. The approximately 14-day mission is scheduled to conclude with Orion splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

SpaceX Fuel Transfers and Blue Origin Architecture Diverge

The two aerospace companies approach the lunar architecture with distinctly different technical pathways. SpaceX relies on orbital propellant transfer, requiring multiple Starship flights to act as fuel depots in Earth orbit to refill the lunar lander with liquid oxygen and methane before it heads to the Moon [vtm.zive.cz]. SpaceX plans its first orbital cryogenic propellant transfer test for early 2027 [Novinky].

Blue Origin has structured its Mark 2 lander to avoid orbital fuel transfers entirely, assembling the vehicle from multiple propellant stages in orbit before it travels independently to meet Orion [vtm.zive.cz]. Furthermore, Mark 2 features a lower center of gravity than the towering Starship, reducing tip-over risks in the low gravity of the lunar surface [vtm.zive.cz].

Schedule Pressures and Hardware Milestones Drive the Timeline

While NASA officially targets 2028 for the Artemis IV lunar landing mission, skeptics view that schedule as optimistic [vtm.zive.cz]. Program managers face tight deadlines as Blue Origin works to resume New Glenn flights following a May booster anomaly, with company officials anticipating a return to the launch pad in November [vtm.zive.cz]. Simultaneously, SpaceX continues development and engine testing for its Raptor-powered Starship [vtm.zive.cz]. NASA completed the core stage assembly for the Space Launch System rocket designated for Artemis III, keeping ground preparations moving forward even as flight software and hardware integrations undergo rigorous vacuum chamber trials at Kennedy Space Center [vtm.zive.cz].