NASA spends three rockets to test two moon landers in orbit

NASA will use three heavy-lift rockets to test two commercial moon landers in low Earth orbit. The agency detailed the Artemis III concept of operations during a two-hour press conference at Kennedy Space Center on Friday. Program manager Jeremy Parsons called the campaign likely the most complex launch sequence ever attempted.

The mission relies on the Space Launch System, SpaceX Starship, and Blue Origin New Glenn. All three vehicles will launch from the Florida Space Coast. New Glenn flies first, placing Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander in low Earth orbit. The SLS follows, carrying four astronauts to the Orion capsule.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. Parsons said SLS will place Orion in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 18 to 1,122 miles in altitude. The capsule will adjust to a stable 345-mile orbit to manage thermal stress before the crew begins system checks.

On Flight Day 3, the crew will dock with Blue Moon at an altitude of 273 miles. They will spend two days inside the lander, testing environmental controls and life support systems. Engineers will verify atmospheric pressure holding and run emergency scenario drills. Mission Control will also undergo rigorous testing during this phase.

Starship launches around Flight Day 6 with a dedicated docking adapter. It meets Orion on Flight Day 8 at an altitude of 237 miles. This encounter lasts only two hours. The crew will not enter the Starship vehicle, but the test will measure docking forces and vehicle interaction dynamics.

After undocking from Starship, the mission continues for six to nine more days. The nominal duration is 14 days, though it could extend to 17. The crew will evaluate survival suits, conduct health assessments, and run technology demonstrations. Orion will end the mission with a parachute-aided ocean splashdown.

The test prepares for Artemis IV, a planned 2028 landing near the moon’s south pole. It would mark the first crewed lunar touchdown since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is preserving options for both partners. He noted that NASA has no intention of surrendering a viable path to the surface before data compels a decision. The launch date remains targeted for summer 2027, though an internal memo cited a 90-day schedule delay.