NASA’s Artemis III mission now targeting late 2027 launch
▼ Summary
– NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated SpaceX and Blue Origin expect their lunar landers to be ready for Artemis III in Earth orbit by late 2027, later than previous schedule.
– Artemis III will not go to the Moon; instead, astronauts in an Orion capsule will rendezvous with one or both landers in Earth orbit.
– Key details of the Artemis III flight plan remain unresolved, including the orbit altitude and the SLS rocket configuration.
– A low-Earth orbit mission could save an existing SLS upper stage for a later Moon landing attempt, while a higher orbit would allow more lunar-like testing.
– NASA is purchasing a new commercial upper stage, Centaur V from ULA, to pair with the SLS rocket after the current upper stages are used up.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman informed lawmakers Monday that SpaceX and Blue Origin, the agency’s two lunar lander contractors, now project their spacecraft could be ready for the next Artemis mission in Earth orbit by late 2027. This timeline pushes back NASA’s earlier schedule.
Unlike previous plans, Artemis III will not travel to the Moon. Instead, NASA intends to launch an Orion capsule carrying astronauts for a rendezvous and possible docking with one or both landers while still in Earth orbit. The precise flight plan remains under development, with key questions still unresolved regarding the orbit’s altitude and the configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
A mission to low-Earth orbit, just a few hundred miles up, could allow NASA to conserve an existing SLS upper stage currently in storage. Saving that unit would keep it available for a subsequent Artemis mission aimed at an actual lunar landing. However, launching into a higher orbit would require that upper stage but would provide a testing environment more akin to the Moon’s vicinity.
NASA is also moving forward with a new commercial upper stage, the Centaur V from United Launch Alliance, which will eventually pair with the SLS rocket once the remaining existing upper stages are used. This shift could help streamline the agency’s path back to the lunar surface, even as the immediate mission scope narrows to an orbital shakedown.
(Source: Ars Technica)
