Artemis is NASA's program to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972 and to build toward crewed Mars missions. Named for the twin sister of Apollo, it combines NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft with commercial landers, international partners, and a series of robotic deliveries to the lunar surface.[1]
The program reached its biggest milestone yet in April 2026, when Artemis II carried four astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than any humans in history.[2] Under the plan in place as of mid-2026, Artemis III will test lander dockings in Earth orbit in 2027, and Artemis IV is slated to attempt the first crewed landing at the lunar south pole in 2028.[3]
Origins and goals
NASA consolidated its lunar plans under the Artemis name in 2019, building on programs and hardware that date back further: Orion survived the cancellation of the Constellation program in 2010, and Congress mandated the Space Launch System the following year. Artemis differs from the Apollo program in its stated ambitions: not flags and footprints but a sustained presence, with commercial landers, reusable elements, and a focus on the south polar region, where permanently shadowed craters hold water ice that could supply future crews.[1]
The Artemis Accords, a set of principles for peaceful lunar exploration signed alongside the program, had gathered more than 50 signatory nations by 2025.
Artemis I (2022)
The uncrewed Artemis I mission launched on November 16, 2022, the first flight of the SLS. Orion spent 25.5 days in space, entered a distant retrograde orbit of the Moon, and splashed down in the Pacific on December 11, 2022. The heat shield returned with more charring and material loss than models predicted, a finding that pushed Artemis II's schedule while engineers settled on a revised reentry profile rather than a redesign.[1][4]
Artemis II (2026)
Artemis II launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, carrying commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. It was the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.[2]
The ten-day mission flew a free-return trajectory around the far side of the Moon. On the way, the crew set a record for the greatest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth: 406,771 km (252,756 miles), surpassing the mark held by Apollo 13 since 1970. Glover became the first Black astronaut to fly to the Moon, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first Canadian. Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10, 2026, and NASA's early assessments reported the spacecraft performed as expected, clearing the path for the missions that follow.[2][4]
Artemis III (2027)
In June 2026 NASA announced a reshaped Artemis III. Rather than attempting a landing, the mission will conduct docking and rendezvous tests in Earth orbit in 2027: Orion is expected to spend about two days docked with a Blue Origin lander test article and about a day with a SpaceX Starship pathfinder, proving the interfaces the landing missions require. The crew, named on June 9, 2026, is commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, with Bob Hines as backup.[3]
The change reflected schedule reality on both landers. SpaceX's Starship HLS still needs orbital refueling demonstrations, and Blue Origin's lander program was set back when a New Glenn rocket was destroyed in a static-fire explosion in May 2026.[5]
Artemis IV and beyond
Artemis IV, planned for 2028, is intended to be the program's first crewed lunar landing, targeting the south pole region with the Starship HLS. Later missions would alternate and expand capabilities, including Blue Origin's crewed Blue Moon MK2 lander around Artemis V. Supporting elements remain in flux: the Gateway lunar-orbit station has faced cancellation proposals in NASA's 2026 budget process, and the long-term future of SLS and Orion beyond the early missions is an open question in Washington.[1][5]
| Mission | Date | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Artemis I | November-December 2022 | Uncrewed lunar orbit, 25.5 days |
| Artemis II | April 1-10, 2026 | Crewed lunar flyby, distance record |
| Artemis III | 2027 (planned) | Crewed Earth-orbit docking tests with landers |
| Artemis IV | 2028 (planned) | First crewed south pole landing |
Components
The program's transportation stack divides responsibilities. SLS provides launch; it has flown twice, both successes. Orion carries crews to lunar distance and back, with its service module built by ESA, which earns European astronauts seats on later missions. Landing falls to the commercial Human Landing Systems: NASA awarded Starship HLS 2.89 billion dollars in 2021 and later added Blue Moon MK2. Robotic cargo flies separately under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, whose deliveries since 2024 include the first commercial Moon landings.[1]
References
- Artemis - NASA.
- NASA Welcomes Record-Setting Artemis II Moonfarers Back to Earth - NASA.
- NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027, Names Crew Members - NASA.
- NASA on Track for Future Missions with Initial Artemis II Assessments - NASA.
- NASA head urges new launcher for Blue Origin's moon landers to meet Artemis mission deadlines - Spaceflight Now.
