Status: Planned for 2027. Updated September 27, 2026. Artemis III is a crewed test in low Earth orbit. It is no longer the first human return to the lunar surface; NASA assigns that goal to Artemis IV. The distinction matters because Artemis III tests how Orion will meet and work with commercial landers before sending astronauts to lunar orbit.
Mission profile
NASA plans to launch four astronauts aboard Orion on the Space Launch System from Kennedy Space Center. In Earth orbit, Orion will rendezvous and dock with test versions of the lunar landing systems developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. NASA has described a sequence of separate launches and docking demonstrations, with the crew returning to Earth in Orion. The exact test sequence can change as hardware matures.
Crew and spacecraft
- Commander: NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik.
- Pilot: ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano.
- Mission specialists: NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio.
- Backup: NASA astronaut Bob Hines.
SpaceX intends to test a Starship Version 3 article with a nose docking system; NASA says the crew will not enter that test vehicle. The Blue Origin article is based on its planned crew lander, and NASA has discussed a limited crew entry during testing. These details are plans, not completed flight results.
Why this flight matters
The mission exercises a difficult handoff between independently built vehicles: rendezvous, docking hardware, software, communications and control of the combined spacecraft. A successful demonstration would reduce risk for the Artemis IV landing. It does not by itself prove that either lander can descend to or launch from the Moon; separate uncrewed lunar demonstrations remain part of the path to landing.
What to watch next
- Readiness of both lander test articles and their launch vehicles.
- Orion docking tests, combined spacecraft control and crew safety reviews.
- Results from uncrewed lunar landing demonstrations.
Continue to Artemis IV or return to the Artemis mission guide. Sources: NASA Artemis III overview; NASA crew announcement; NASA lander test plan.
