Before the Artemis astronauts embark on their lunar journey in 2028, NASA is set to initiate the Artemis III demonstration mission in 2027. This essential test will enable teams on Earth and in orbit to rehearse rendezvous and docking operations between the commercial human landing systems and the Orion spacecraft. Data collected from this mission, in conjunction with future unmanned lunar missions, will be pivotal in ensuring astronaut safety and mission success for upcoming manned lunar landings.
NASA is collaborating with two prominent American companies in the development of the manned landing system. This technology is designed to safely ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back, benefiting future Artemis missions. For Artemis III, both SpaceX and Blue Origin will operate a test version of a manned lunar lander, which will be launched via commercial rockets. The Artemis III crew will ascend into low Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft utilizing NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
NASA and its human landing system partners have engaged in extensive planning to determine the capabilities required for the Artemis III mission. As this mission approaches, SpaceX and Blue Origin are fine-tuning hardware availability and functionality. SpaceX intends to deploy its latest version of Starship—Version 3—as the foundation for the future Starship HLS, while Blue Origin will test its crew compartment design. This allows both companies to gather critical insights before manned and unmanned lunar missions.
“Each human landing system provider has adopted a unique approach to the Artemis III mission,” stated Steve Creech, program manager for the Manned Landing System program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “Ultimately, both SpaceX and Blue Origin have introduced an ambitious set of objectives aimed at complementing our upcoming unmanned demonstration mission on the Moon, enhancing our understanding and confidence in our spacecraft and launch vehicle ahead of the manned landing. The design of the lander prototype will evolve over the next year, steering future development efforts.”
In the context of the Artemis III mission, Blue Origin’s test lander will utilize the current architecture of its Mark 2 manned lander, integrating all vital avionics, flight software, and control systems to ensure that flight operations from this demonstration can seamlessly translate to manned lunar missions. Up to two crew members, donning orange Orion Crew Survival System suits, will open the hatch and board the Blue Origin test lander. The production hardware must encompass numerous critical systems, including environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), crew cabins, and avionics.
The Blue Origin lander will also be equipped with an instrumented lunar spacesuit mass simulator. This low-fidelity suit will replicate the suit-wearing “Mounikin” mannequin that undertook the unmanned Artemis I test flight, supplying real-time insights into the environmental conditions within the Blue Moon crew compartment.
SpaceX’s Starship lander test article incorporates Starship version 3, currently undergoing production and testing, with a docking system affixed to the nose of the 171-foot (52-meter) spacecraft. This setup will allow NASA and SpaceX to assess the interaction between the complete integrated stack of Orion and the Starship test lander. NASA and SpaceX have prioritized controllability and communication tests for the Artemis III mission, though astronauts will not be present aboard the Starship test lander during this phase.
NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin are set to launch three of the globe’s most powerful rockets in a tight schedule, executing ground handling, coordinating launch personnel, equipment, and control centers, as well as managing data networking and exchange at crucial locations across the U.S. This will occur during two separate consecutive rendezvous and docking exercises between Orion and the lander test article, culminating in the Artemis III crew’s safe splashdown aboard Orion.
“Artemis III will require a highly coordinated effort, entailing demanding launch sequences across multiple launch pads, as well as complex mission operations for ground and flight crews, making it one of the most ambitious missions NASA has ever undertaken,” commented Jeremy Parsons, Artemis program manager. “This demonstration mission will lay the groundwork for our next significant leap forward. NASA’s expertise in systems engineering, integration, and mission operations in low Earth orbit will unify the mission.”
For upcoming crewed missions to the Moon, NASA plans a “dual launch campaign” that will pre-position a lander in orbit to await the crewed Orion launch aboard SLS. Launching three Artemis III rockets in quick succession presents a distinct opportunity to refine launch handling and operations.
Blue Origin’s test lander will be the first to take flight, capable of operating in space for up to 30 days. This allows for systems checks in orbit prior to the SLS and Orion launch from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, ensuring that their orbits correspond to designated “parked” positions for thorough system evaluations.
Jeremy Parsons
Artemis Program Manager
Following Blue Origin’s rendezvous and docking operational test, SpaceX will initiate a test article launch of the Starship lander to rendezvous with Orion and its crew during the in-orbit test phase.
Throughout the Artemis III mission, Orion will maintain a circular orbit. Each of the three rockets offers more launch opportunities than typically available for lunar missions, facilitating ascents to targeted mission altitudes in a single launch.
During docking and undocking scenarios, the Orion and Artemis III crews will utilize the lander’s test article as a target, with Orion serving as the tracking spacecraft. This setup mirrors the configuration planned for future crew landing missions to the Moon.
Ahead of Artemis III, NASA will ensure both test landers are mission-ready while prioritizing crew safety. These validations will rely on established performance and functional prerequisites for the test lander design, complemented by hardware and software hazard controls aimed at safeguarding Artemis III astronauts aboard Orion during both docking phases of the mission.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are actively testing their respective landers’ docking capabilities on the ground. SpaceX earned its docking certification in 2023, while Blue Origin executed developmental ground tests of its pressurized docking system earlier this year.
The primary distinction between the docking capabilities of both lander test articles lies in their docking locations. Orion will dock alongside the Blue Moon test lander, adjacent to the crew compartment, while it will connect nose-to-nose with SpaceX’s larger test lander.
Software testing between spacecraft will demonstrate that the commercial human landing system prototype and Orion can converge at a precise moment and location in space. As Orion docks with the Blue Moon test lander, its onboard software will manage the docked spacecraft. Conversely, SpaceX’s test article will govern the docked spacecraft during the latter portion of the mission. This docking phase will allow NASA and its commercial partners to assess hardware and software interoperability and the dynamics of the Joint Lander Orion spacecraft in space.
Through the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to explore the Moon, fostering scientific discovery and supporting economic development, while laying the foundation for the first manned mission to Mars for the benefit of everyone.
Amber Jacobson
Headquarters, Washington
240.298.1832
[email protected]
Colin Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
[email protected]
Source: www.nasa.gov