NASA’s Artemis III mission, planned for 2027, will be a complex 14-day rehearsal for future crewed lunar landings. Three astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut will fly aboard Orion in low Earth orbit, where they will test rendezvous, docking, habitation and operational procedures with test versions of lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. The mission is intended to reduce risk and build experience before NASA attempts to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole in 2028.
NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, along with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, will launch aboard Orion. During the mission, the crew and flight controllers will practice coordinating three spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets.
“Every part of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before returning astronauts to the Moon,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager. “We’re launching three spacecraft on three different rockets and testing how they work together. This is something NASA has never tried before. All the lessons we learn here will bring us closer to landing on the moon in 2028.”
Blue Origin’s lunar lander test
Earlier Artemis missions used NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis III will add two commercial spacecraft and require a series of carefully timed launches and orbital operations.
The mission is scheduled to begin 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 in orbit for up to 30 days, giving mission planners some flexibility. NASA plans to launch Orion atop the SLS from Kennedy Space Center in Florida a few days after the Blue Moon test article reaches orbit and is confirmed to be healthy and ready for joint operations.
After launch, Orion will enter an 18-by-1,122-mile (16-by-975-nautical-mile) elliptical Earth orbit. Its service module will perform a series of maneuvers to place the spacecraft in a circular orbit approximately 345 miles (300 nautical miles) above Earth for thermal stabilization. Orion will then gradually maneuver toward the waiting Blue Moon test vehicle.
Because the spacecraft will operate in different orbital regimes optimized for their respective mission requirements, Artemis III will involve a sequence of precisely coordinated orbital and rendezvous maneuvers. During the first two days, the crew will check Orion’s systems, prepare for close-proximity operations and position the spacecraft for its first major objective: rendezvous and docking with the Blue Moon test vehicle.
The operation will give NASA its first opportunity to evaluate how Orion and a commercial lunar lander work together in space. Engineers will examine the performance of the spacecraft’s software, guidance, communications systems and operating procedures under real-world conditions. Flight controllers will also gain experience coordinating activities among multiple teams and organizations.
Evaluating the Blue Moon spacecraft
After docking, the astronauts will spend about two days aboard the Blue Moon test vehicle. They will be able to open the hatch and enter the spacecraft to assess its cabin environment, controls and life-support systems. The crew will also test the vehicle’s ability to maintain the correct atmosphere and pressure.
The test vehicle incorporates much of the avionics, software, flight-control systems, crew-cabin technology and life-support functions planned for future lunar missions. Operating these systems in orbit will provide the first opportunity to assess how many of the lander’s systems function together as an integrated spacecraft.
When Orion undocks, NASA expects to have completed its first evaluation of a crewed commercial lunar lander. The mission will provide data on spacecraft systems, crew operations and interoperability that cannot be collected on Earth.
Testing a Starship docking
After completing the Blue Origin operations, Orion will undock and reposition for a second rendezvous. SpaceX plans to launch a test version of Starship Version 3 from Florida.
Starship is designed for a substantially shorter in-orbit lifetime than the Blue Moon lander, so its launch will take place later in the mission. This sequence will allow NASA to conduct both docking demonstrations efficiently. Starship will enter a 206-nautical-mile sub-orbit optimized for communications range and will carry an additional docking system at its forward end.
Orion will rendezvous with Starship and dock with it in a test expected to last up to two hours. The crew will not enter Starship. Instead, NASA and SpaceX will examine how the two spacecraft operate as a docked system, including spacecraft controllability, communications, integration-software performance and docking and undocking procedures.
The docking system itself will be tested using different docking geometries. Orion will connect to a port next to Blue Moon’s crew compartment before aligning its forward docking system with the system in Starship’s nose. Testing both configurations during one mission will allow NASA to compare operational concepts and collect engineering data.
Together, the two docking demonstrations will show how Orion works with two substantially different commercial lunar-lander designs.
Additional Orion tests and research
Artemis III will continue collecting data after the docking demonstrations are complete. Once the Starship test ends, Orion and its crew may spend up to five additional days in orbit before preparing for the journey home.
NASA plans to use that time for a range of objectives supporting future Artemis missions. These include further evaluation of the Orion Crew Survival System suit, docking-sensor tests, acoustic and thermal measurements, human-factors assessments and science and technology demonstrations.
Several NASA-led investigations will build on research conducted during Artemis II and gather additional information for future deep-space missions. The crew will also conduct a proof-of-concept study on how astronauts can perform health assessments when they cannot communicate directly with mission control, a capability that could be important during future lunar and other distant missions.
NASA also plans to fly cell-biology experiments and test concepts for returning lunar samples to Earth. Researchers will assess how future samples could be moved to transport, receiving and storage facilities after landing. They will also examine Orion’s environment to better understand possible contamination concerns during future lunar exploration missions.
The mission will include observations of Earth and the Sun, helping astronauts develop important observational skills while using the spacecraft’s unique orbital vantage point. Plant seeds will also fly aboard Orion for post-mission scientific research and educational activities.
Mission planners are building flexibility into the flight schedule to create additional opportunities to complete test objectives as operations evolve in real time.
When the mission is ready to conclude, Orion will begin its return phase. The crew will prepare the cabin for re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA personnel and the U.S. Navy will recover Orion and its crew.
Preparing for future lunar missions
Every Artemis III activity is intended to reduce risks before astronauts return to the lunar surface. The mission will give NASA experience working with multiple commercial partners while coordinating a complex sequence involving three spacecraft.
Engineers will be able to study spacecraft interoperability, mission-control coordination, communications architecture, crew operations and hardware performance. By the time Orion splashes down, NASA expects to have demonstrated technologies and operational concepts that future lunar crews will use to travel to and from the Moon.
Most importantly, Artemis III is intended to turn plans for future lunar landings into tested flight procedures. The lessons learned could improve exploration plans, strengthen partnerships with industry and help astronauts prepare for future missions near the Moon’s south pole.
NASA’s broader Artemis program aims to expand lunar exploration, support scientific discovery and economic activity, establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface and lay the groundwork for the agency’s first crewed mission to Mars.
More information about Artemis is available at www.nasa.gov/artemis.
Source: www.nasa.gov