NASA has described Artemis III as the most complex mission ever attempted. The 14-day mission, which could be extended to 17 days if necessary, is planned to involve four astronauts, three rocket launches, three spacecraft and two dockings.
Three launches and three spacecraft
The first launch would use a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket from Florida. It would carry a prototype lander called Blue Moon into low Earth orbit without any astronauts on board.
A NASA Space Launch System rocket would then launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four Artemis III astronauts inside an Orion capsule. The rocket and spacecraft are the same types used for Artemis II, during which astronauts flew around the Moon and returned to Earth.
Orion would also enter orbit around Earth. The crew would spend two days checking the spacecraft’s systems.
Docking with Blue Moon
On the third day of the flight, Orion would dock with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander. The astronauts would open a hatch and enter the lander, where they would spend two days checking its systems.
On the sixth day, SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket would launch from Florida. Its upper stage, called “Ship,” is a prototype lander that would be placed in low Earth orbit. However, it would not yet be equipped as a lander or fitted with life-support systems.
A brief SpaceX docking demonstration
NASA’s Orion spacecraft and its crew would undock from Blue Moon and dock with the SpaceX ship. This would be a short, two-hour demonstration, and the Artemis III astronauts would not be aboard the SpaceX lander.
After undocking, the Orion crew would spend the remainder of the mission conducting additional tests and science experiments aboard the capsule before returning to Earth.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk