When will NASA launch Artemis III, and when will humans land on the moon?
NASA hasn't landed astronauts on the surface of the moon since 1972, but two upcoming missions could change that before the decade is out.
“You don’t see this every day.” Passengers and crew aboard a commercial flight watched NASA’s Artemis II launch unfold midair, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime moment on April 1.
Artemis II sent four astronauts around the moon for the first time since the Apollo era, and NASA is already looking toward the future, including a lunar landing before the end of the decade.
The next mission, Artemis III, will not travel to the moon but will serve as a critical dress rehearsal.
"The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon," NASA explained.
This mission profile is comparable to Apollo 9, which launched on March 3, 1969, and demonstrated the equipment capabilities that would carry humans to the moon's surface later that year.
People watch as NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Artemis III will specifically test integration with commercial lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.
The mission is currently scheduled for 2027, and a crew has yet to be announced.
When will humans return to the moon?
Artemis IV is scheduled to be the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since the Apollo era, with NASA eyeing a 2028 launch, though delays are possible.
"Artemis IV astronauts will travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend approximately a week near the South Pole of the Moon conducting new science before returning to lunar orbit to join their crew for the journey back to Earth," NASA explained.
Nine candidate landing sites have been identified near the moon's South Pole, chosen for their diverse geological characteristics and the possibility of water in the form of ice.
This image shows nine candidate landing regions for NASA’s Artemis III mission, with each region containing multiple potential sites for the first crewed landing on the Moon in more than 50 years. The background image of the lunar South Pole terrain within the nine regions is a mosaic of LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) WAC (Wide Angle Camera) images. (NASA)
The Artemis IV mission will also lay the groundwork for a future lunar base to establish sustained human presence on the moon.
Report a Typo
