NASA is moving forward with plans to return American astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028 and establish a permanent presence near the moon’s south pole, with a major orbital test mission scheduled for summer 2027.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
NASA is accelerating preparations to establish a lunar base and return astronauts to the moon within two years, with Administrator Jared Isaacman confirming Friday, Oct. 23, that the agency remains on schedule for a 2028 landing while preparing a series of critical spacecraft tests involving SpaceX and Blue Origin.
During a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Isaacman outlined a strategy to increase the pace of lunar missions, streamline operations and expand cooperation with commercial space companies as the United States competes with China to establish a sustained presence on the moon.
According to NASA’s latest Artemis program announcement, the agency plans to launch Artemis III during summer 2027, followed by Artemis IV, which is intended to place American astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028.
The schedule follows the successful Artemis II mission earlier this year, which carried four astronauts around the moon, marking humanity’s first crewed lunar journey since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Unlike Artemis II, the upcoming Artemis III mission will remain in low Earth orbit. Four astronauts will spend approximately two weeks testing docking procedures with experimental lunar landers developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
The Artemis III crew consists of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy.
The mission will use NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launched aboard the Space Launch System rocket, to conduct separate docking demonstrations with the two commercial vehicles.
Orion will first rendezvous with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon test vehicle before separating and preparing for a second docking exercise involving SpaceX’s Starship.
NASA expects the mission to require three launches within a relatively short period, creating a demanding schedule for the agency and its commercial partners.
The agency’s updated mission plan calls for Orion to maneuver into an orbit approximately 345 miles above Earth before approaching Blue Origin’s spacecraft. The subsequent Starship demonstration will take place at a lower altitude.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya described the mission as an opportunity to test two different lunar landing systems under realistic orbital conditions.
“As a rocket nerd, it’s going to be pretty awesome,” Kshatriya said.
The demonstrations are intended to verify spacecraft docking systems, evaluate crew procedures and identify potential technical problems before astronauts attempt a lunar landing.
NASA has not yet selected which company’s lander will transport astronauts to the moon during Artemis IV.
Under revised contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin, both companies will participate in the 2027 demonstrations while continuing development of their respective lunar landing systems.
The decision marks a change from earlier plans that assigned SpaceX’s Starship to the initial Artemis lunar landing and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon vehicle to a later mission.
NASA officials said maintaining both options will provide flexibility and reduce the risk of delays if one company encounters technical difficulties.
The urgency reflects growing competition with China, which has announced plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030.
Isaacman warned that the competition to establish a sustained lunar presence has become more difficult because of delays in previous years.
He said the resulting “new space race” will be “much closer than it ever needed to be.”
The administrator emphasized that NASA intends to draw lessons from the Apollo program, when the agency rapidly developed the capabilities needed to land astronauts on the moon.
“It’s about our own history. It’s a playbook this agency knows really well, the same playbook that went from Apollo 7 splashdown to Apollo 11 in just nine months,” Isaacman said.
The Apollo program sent 24 astronauts to the moon between 1968 and 1972, with 12 walking on its surface.
Unlike those missions, which involved relatively brief visits, Artemis is designed to establish a long-term American presence near the lunar south pole.
The region has attracted scientific interest because permanently shadowed craters may contain deposits of water ice that could support future exploration.
NASA plans to begin positioning equipment on the lunar surface before astronauts arrive.
According to an Associated Press report, the agency expects to launch an initial lunar base-related mission before the end of 2026, sending a robotic lander carrying a rover and scientific experiments toward the south polar region.
Additional robotic landers, orbiters and surface vehicles are expected to follow, gradually building the infrastructure needed for human operations.
The initial mission will involve a Pittsburgh-based company that previously attempted a lunar landing in 2024 but failed to reach the surface successfully.
NASA officials said the sequence of robotic missions could allow astronauts to arrive at the moon with important equipment already positioned near their landing site, including a lunar vehicle.
The agency is also modifying its spacesuit strategy to reduce technical complexity.
For the initial lunar landing, astronauts are expected to use lighter, simplified suits designed for shorter surface excursions.
Axiom Space, which is developing more advanced lunar spacesuits, plans to test the new designs aboard the International Space Station in 2027.
The simplified approach is intended to support the first landing while more capable equipment is prepared for longer missions.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who will fly aboard Artemis III, acknowledged the challenges involved in establishing a sustained lunar presence.
“It is incredibly ambitious,” Rubio told The Associated Press. “One thing I’ve always believed and learned is don’t bet against America.”
The agency’s accelerated schedule remains dependent on successful spacecraft testing, commercial lander development and the completion of essential safety requirements.
NASA officials maintain that preparations are progressing toward the planned 2028 landing, although the technical challenges associated with launching, docking and operating multiple spacecraft remain substantial.
If successful, Artemis IV will mark the first human landing on the moon in more than five decades and establish a foundation for expanded lunar exploration, scientific research and eventual missions to Mars.
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