NASA has approved a revised lunar mission architecture in which SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System will dock with Orion in Earth orbit and provide the propulsion needed to send both spacecraft toward the Moon.
The arrangement replaces the original plan for Starship and Orion to meet in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon.
NASA described the new approach in an October 23, 2026 announcement detailing revised contracts, development milestones, and mission operations for its commercial lunar landers.
The changes are intended to support a crewed lunar landing in 2028.
SpaceX will continue developing orbital propellant-transfer technology, but the revised flight plan will allow Starship to perform the trans-lunar injection maneuver for the combined spacecraft and take the astronauts directly into low lunar orbit.
NASA has also introduced additional development milestones for Starship’s crew cabin.
How the Revised Starship Lunar Mission Will Work
The new approach changes where Orion and Starship join together and which spacecraft provides propulsion during the journey to the Moon.
SpaceX will first launch a series of tanker versions of Starship into low Earth orbit.
These vehicles will transfer cryogenic propellant into a depot Starship that serves as an orbital storage facility.
The depot will subsequently transfer the accumulated propellant into the Starship lunar lander.
Once the lander has received the required propellant, it will prepare for its rendezvous with Orion.
NASA will launch four astronauts aboard Orion using the Space Launch System rocket.
Instead of having Orion independently travel to lunar orbit before meeting the lander, Orion will rendezvous and dock with Starship in Earth orbit.
Starship will then perform the trans-lunar injection maneuver, accelerating the combined spacecraft toward the Moon.
NASA is working on modifications to Orion that will enable it to be propelled toward the Moon while docked to Starship.
After reaching low lunar orbit, two astronauts will transfer from Orion into the Starship lander.
Starship will descend to the lunar surface, where the astronauts conducts surface operations for several days.
The lander will subsequently launch from the Moon, return to Orion in lunar orbit, and transfer the astronauts back to the crew spacecraft.
Orion will then transport the crew to Earth.
Why NASA Changed the Rendezvous Orbit
The original Artemis architecture called for Orion and commercial lunar landers to meet in a near-rectilinear halo orbit.
This is a highly elliptical orbit around the Moon that was selected partly to accommodate Orion’s propulsion capabilities and the planned Lunar Gateway station.
However, a lander departing from that orbit must travel a substantial distance and perform major propulsion maneuvers before reaching the lunar surface.
It must also reserve enough propellant to return to the same orbit after completing its landing mission.
The revised Starship architecture instead places Orion in low lunar orbit.
According to NASA, the change reduces the amount of propellant Starship needs to collect in Earth orbit.
It also reduces the time needed for astronauts returning from the lunar surface to rendezvous with Orion.
The change affects the mission’s propulsion requirements because orbital altitude and geometry influence the velocity changes needed to descend, land, ascend, and rendezvous.
Low lunar orbit also eliminates the need for Starship to transport astronauts between the surface and the previously planned distant rendezvous location.
The updated arrangement is consistent with NASA’s broader decision to move away from the Gateway-centered architecture for its initial lunar surface missions.
Starship Still Requires Orbital Propellant Transfer
Although NASA has simplified part of the lunar transportation sequence, Starship’s mission continues to depend on orbital propellant aggregation.
This involves collecting propellant delivered by multiple tanker spacecraft and transferring it into the vehicle that will perform the lunar mission.
Starship uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane, both of which must be maintained at very low temperatures.
The technologies involved include cryogenic storage, spacecraft rendezvous, docking or connection procedures, fluid transfer, and management of propellant evaporation.
The need to demonstrate these capabilities has been examined in New Space Economy’s coverage of orbital refueling.
NASA’s updated plan retains a depot-based system.
Multiple tanker Starships will deliver propellant to the depot before the lunar lander receives its allocation.
The number of tanker launches required has not been finalized publicly by NASA.
During the October 23 Artemis briefing, officials declined to specify a definitive launch count for the refueling campaign.
NASA states that SpaceX will demonstrate its propellant aggregation approach during an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration mission.
That demonstration is a required development activity before Starship can transport astronauts to the lunar surface.
Artemis III Will Test Starship Docking in 2027
Before a crewed lunar landing, NASA plans to test Orion’s compatibility with Starship during Artemis III.
The mission is targeted for summer 2027 and will operate in low Earth orbit.
Under the published Artemis III flight plan, SpaceX will launch a Starship Version 3 test article from Florida.
The vehicle will enter an orbit approximately 206 nautical miles above Earth.
It will carry a docking interface mounted near the nose of the spacecraft.
After completing a separate docking demonstration with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon test vehicle, Orion will maneuver to rendezvous with Starship.
The two spacecraft will dock for an evaluation lasting up to two hours.
NASA and SpaceX will assess communications, flight software integration, spacecraft controllability, and the behavior of the connected vehicles.
The demonstration will also provide flight data concerning docking dynamics and separation procedures.
The four Artemis III astronauts will remain aboard Orion throughout the Starship test.
The Starship test article will not be used for astronaut habitation during this mission.
Additional Starship Crew Cabin Milestones
NASA’s October 23 contract update adds two demonstrations involving Starship’s Cabin 1 crew compartment.
The agency identified the new activities as development milestones intended to provide additional evidence about the spacecraft’s readiness for human lunar missions.
The crew cabin is a separate requirement from proving that the uncrewed Starship system can reach orbit, transfer propellant, and perform a lunar landing.
For a crewed mission, the lander must also support astronauts during lunar descent, surface operations, and ascent.
NASA’s updated contractual arrangement gives the agency additional opportunities to evaluate progress toward those requirements.
The company must also complete an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration using its crewed lander design before NASA certifies it to carry astronauts.
The 2028 Lunar Landing Assignment
NASA originally assigned Starship to specific Artemis lunar landing missions.
Under the revised agreements, SpaceX and Blue Origin will both participate in the 2027 Artemis III demonstrations.
Neither company is currently assigned to a particular crewed Artemis lunar landing mission.
NASA intends to select the provider for the first landing in 2028 based on lander readiness.
The selected lander will transport two astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and return them to Orion after their exploration activities.
NASA’s revised Starship plan establishes two distinct near-term development activities: an Earth-orbit docking demonstration in 2027 and a subsequent uncrewed lunar landing demonstration supporting the 2028 crewed landing campaign.
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