NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other agency leaders said in an Oct. 23 update that the agency is pursuing a plan to return Americans to the Moon in 2028. The update outlined accelerated Artemis plans, including an Artemis III test flight in 2027 and the Artemis IV lunar landing mission in 2028, while describing work with industry partners to test critical systems, reduce mission risks and establish a sustained U.S. presence on the Moon.
Artemis III will test lunar landing systems in Earth orbit
Artemis III is planned as a 14-day mission in Earth orbit carrying four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Orion will launch on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the mission will test rendezvous, docking and operations involving Orion and test vehicles from SpaceX and Blue Origin before the Artemis IV lunar landing mission.
The mission is planned to unfold in several stages. Blue Origin will launch a test version of its Blue Moon lander into Earth orbit. SLS will then launch Orion and its crew, which will dock with the Blue Moon lander test vehicle. SpaceX will subsequently launch a Version 3 Starship lander test vehicle, after which Orion will depart Blue Moon and dock with Starship.
“This is a very energetic NASA, and these updates are just part of that story. We are extremely focused on our mission to ensure we successfully deliver world-changing results as quickly, safely, affordably, and as quickly as possible,” Isaacman said. “NASA is driving results to make lunar missions a reality and is not waiting for others to come forward with plans. This campaign must move forward with urgency as strategic competitors pursue a permanent presence beyond Earth.”
The agency said Artemis III hardware is progressing well and that processing timelines have been reduced by about half. NASA also redesigned, built and tested critical fuel-line components in-house in five months, at approximately one-tenth the cost of a previous estimate from an external vendor.
“NASA should be expected to do this kind of work, and we have the best technical knowledge in the world of rocket hardware and operations for it,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager. “This is an example of how we are rebuilding our core competencies and developing centers of excellence in technology capabilities, rather than continuing to outsource our expertise.”
Artemis IV is targeted for a 2028 Moon landing
For Artemis IV, NASA plans to launch astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft carried by an SLS rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is working with SpaceX and Blue Origin on lunar landers that would transport astronauts to the Moon’s surface. Both companies have redesigned their approaches to simplify the mission and make it more efficient and flexible than earlier designs.
SpaceX’s Starship concept calls for the spacecraft to refuel in Earth orbit, rendezvous with Orion and carry it to the Moon. Blue Origin’s approach includes a transfer stage in Earth orbit that would propel the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander toward the Moon. The lander would meet Orion in near-lunar orbit before descending to the lunar surface.
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin aim to be capable of supporting a crewed lunar landing in 2028.
NASA is pursuing two SLS upper-stage options
For Artemis IV, NASA is pursuing two upper-stage options for the SLS rocket: the current Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and an enhanced version of United Launch Alliance’s Centaur V that can carry more propellant. NASA said pursuing both options would preserve flexibility and avoid dependence on a single option.
NASA plans a lighter spacesuit design
NASA also announced plans to work with spacesuit provider Axiom Space on a second lightweight design called the Sortie Suit. The design could enable the first walk on the Moon. It would not replace Axiom’s primary suit and is intended for longer and more demanding missions in the future. At about half the weight of the larger suit, the Sortie Suit could allow NASA to move faster on early lunar surface missions.
NASA said Artemis astronauts will undertake increasingly difficult missions to the Moon’s south pole as part of what the agency describes as a golden age of innovation and exploration. Along with supporting economic benefits and scientific discovery, the lunar missions are intended to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for NASA’s first crewed mission to Mars.
Source: www.nasa.gov