Before astronauts land on the Moon again, NASA will stage an ambitious Artemis III rehearsal involving Orion, SpaceX Starship, Blue Moon, and three major rocket launches.

NASA plans to use Artemis III in 2027 as a major rehearsal for future astronaut landings on the Moon. Before astronauts descend to the lunar surface in 2028, teams on Earth and in space will use the mission to practice rendezvous and docking between Orion and commercial human landing systems. Information gathered during Artemis III, together with data from future uncrewed demonstration missions at the Moon, will help NASA improve astronaut safety and prepare for successful crewed lunar landings.

NASA is working with two U.S. companies to develop the spacecraft that will eventually carry astronauts between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface. During Artemis III, SpaceX and Blue Origin will each fly test versions, or test articles, of the landers they are developing for future crewed missions. The commercial lander test articles will launch on commercial rockets, while the Artemis III astronauts will travel to low Earth orbit aboard Orion on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.