Before astronauts return to the lunar surface, NASA will first conduct one of the most ambitious and complex test missions in the agency’s history.
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. During the planned 14-day mission, crews and flight controllers will practice the rendezvous, docking, habitation, and operational procedures that will be essential when Artemis astronauts begin landing near the Moon’s South Pole in 2028. The mission is designed to reduce risk, validate hardware, and gain operational experience before NASA attempts a crewed 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.”
First stop: Blue Origin’s lunar lander test article
Earlier Artemis missions used only NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis III will involve three separate spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets within a relatively short period of time.
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. The spacecraft can remain on orbit for up to 30 days providing schedule flexibility. Artemis III is designed as a tightly choreographed campaign, with NASA planning to launch Orion on top of SLS from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida only days after the Blue Moon test article launch and confirmation the vehicle is healthy and ready for joint operations.
Following launch, Orion will initially enter an elliptical Earth orbit of 18 x 1122 miles (16 x 975 nautical miles). It will use its service module to perform a series of maneuvers to transition to a circular orbit at about 345 miles (300 nautical miles) for thermal stabilization before then gradually setting up its rendezvous with the waiting Blue Moon lander test article. Because each spacecraft operates in slightly different orbital regimes optimized for its mission requirements, Artemis III requires a carefully choreographed sequence of orbital maneuvers and rendezvous operations throughout the flight.
During the first two days of flight, the crew will check out Orion’s systems, prepare for proximity operations, and gradually position themselves for the mission’s first major objective: rendezvous and docking with the Blue Moon test vehicle.
The operation represents NASA’s first opportunity to evaluate how Orion and a commercial lunar lander work together in space. Engineers will assess how software aboard both spacecraft, guidance systems, communications systems, and operational procedures perform in real-world conditions, while flight controllers gain experience coordinating activities across multiple teams and organizations.
Once docked, astronauts will spend approximately two days conducting evaluations aboard the Blue Moon test article. Crew members will open the hatch and enter the spacecraft, allowing them to assess the cabin environment, controls, and life-support systems firsthand. Teams will verify the spacecraft’s ability to maintain the proper atmosphere and pressure.
The Blue Moon test article incorporates many of the avionics, software, flight-control systems, crew-cabin technologies, and life-support functions planned for future lunar missions. Testing those systems in orbit will provide the first opportunity to evaluate how many of the lander’s flight systems perform in space as an integrated vehicle.
By the time Orion undocks, NASA will have completed its first evaluation of a commercial lunar lander with crew, gathering data on spacecraft systems, crew operations, and spacecraft interoperability not possible on the ground.
Starship docking demonstration
After completing operations with Blue Origin’s lander, Orion will undock and reposition to support the next phase of the mission: a second rendezvous operation.
SpaceX will launch a Starship Version 3 test article from Florida. Because Starship is designed for a much shorter on-orbit lifetime than Blue Origin’s lander, launch occurs later in the mission, allowing NASA to efficiently sequence the two docking demonstrations. Starship will enter a lower orbit at 206 nautical miles, optimized for communications coverage, and will carry an added docking system mounted at the forward end.
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. The demonstration is focused on validating how Orion and Starship interact as a docked system in space. NASA and SpaceX plan to evaluate spacecraft controllability, communications, integrated software performance, and the dynamics associated with docking and undocking operations.
The docking itself also presents a unique test, using different docking geometries. Orion will connect to a port beside Blue Moon’s crew cabin, then later align its forward docking system with the one at Starship’s nose. Testing both approaches during a single mission gives NASA an opportunity to assess different operational concepts while gathering valuable engineering data.
Together, the two docking campaigns will demonstrate how Orion interfaces with two very different commercial lander architectures during a single mission.
Testing Orion for future exploration
Even after docking activities are complete, Artemis III will continue generating data that supports future missions.
Once the Starship demonstration is complete, Orion and its crew will have up to five additional days available in orbit before beginning preparations for the journey home. NASA plans to use this time to complete a variety of test objectives that support future Artemis missions, including additional evaluations of the Orion Crew Survival System suits, docking sensor tests, acoustic and thermal measurements, human-factors assessments, and a range of science and technology demonstrations.
Several investigations led by NASA will build on studies conducted during Artemis II, collecting additional data that will help inform future deep-space missions. The crew also will conduct a proof-of-concept study examining how astronauts could perform health-related assessments when they are unable to communicate directly with mission control, an important capability for future lunar surface expeditions and other missions farther from Earth.
NASA also plans to fly a cellular biology experiment during the mission while researchers use the flight to test concepts for returning lunar samples to Earth. Teams will evaluate how future samples could be transported, received, and moved into curation facilities after landing, while also conducting assessments of Orion’s environment to better understand potential contamination considerations for future lunar missions.
The mission also will include Earth and solar observations that help astronauts continue developing critical observation skills while taking advantage of the spacecraft’s unique orbital vantage point. Plant seeds will fly aboard Orion as well, providing opportunities for scientific study and educational engagement following the mission.
Mission planners have also built flexibility into the flight timeline, providing additional opportunities to complete test objectives depending on how operations unfold in real time.
When ready, Orion will begin phasing for return, and the crew will configure the cabin for reentry and splashdown, which will occur in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. Orion and its crew will be recovered by NASA personnel and the United States Navy.
Practicing for Moon missions
Every activity performed during Artemis III supports a larger goal: reducing risk before astronauts return to the lunar surface.
The mission will provide NASA with experience operating alongside multiple commercial partners while managing complex rendezvous and docking operations involving three different spacecraft. Engineers will gain insight into spacecraft interoperability, mission-control coordination, communications architecture, crew operations, and hardware performance.
By the time Artemis III concludes with Orion’s splashdown on Earth, NASA will have demonstrated technologies and operational concepts that future lunar crews will rely on as they travel to and from the Moon.
Most importantly, Artemis III will provide the operational experience needed to transform plans for future lunar landings into proven flight procedures. The lessons learned throughout the mission will help refine future exploration plans, strengthen partnerships with industry, and ensure astronauts are prepared for humanity’s next giant leap at the Moon.
As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions near the lunar South Pole to explore more of the Moon than ever before. In addition to providing economic benefits and advancing scientific discovery through its Moon missions, NASA will establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface and build on the agency’s foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.
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Source: NASA