NASA is targeting summer 2027 for Artemis III, a crewed Space Launch System (SLS) mission that will test docking operations with two commercial lunar landers in Earth orbit. The agency also plans to conduct a major rocket propellant-loading test before the end of 2026.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the updated milestones during the agency’s Artemis Acceleration briefing at Kennedy Space Center on October 23, 2026.
The mission will carry four astronauts aboard Orion for approximately 14 days. Rather than traveling to the Moon, the crew will rendezvous and dock with test versions of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System.
NASA plans to use the results to prepare for Artemis IV, which is targeted to conduct the program’s first crewed lunar landing in 2028.
SLS Rocket Assembly Progresses Toward a Tanking Test
Preparations for Artemis III have advanced at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
According to NASA’s October 13 hardware update, technicians completed stacking the twin solid rocket boosters on September 30. The boosters are mounted on the mobile launcher inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Each booster consists of five solid-propellant motor segments and associated structural components. Together, the boosters provide more than 75% of SLS thrust at liftoff.
Technicians also completed installation of the four RS-25 engines on the rocket’s core stage. These engines burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and operate alongside the solid boosters during the initial portion of flight.
NASA is preparing to connect the core stage to the boosters to create the rocket’s short-stack configuration.
The short stack will be transported to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test, during which engineers will load cryogenic propellants into the rocket and evaluate ground systems under launch preparation conditions.
The test will use the core stage and boosters without the Orion spacecraft or upper-stage hardware.
The year-end milestone was confirmed during the October 23 briefing and reported by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics publication Aerospace America.
Why NASA Is Conducting Another Propellant-Loading Test
SLS uses liquid hydrogen cooled to approximately minus 253 degrees Celsius. Handling the propellant requires specialized pipes, valves, seals, and connectors that must remain functional at extremely low temperatures.
Hydrogen leakage complicated launch preparations for previous Artemis missions.
For Artemis III, NASA has developed an updated liquid-hydrogen quick-disconnect system. This equipment connects ground propellant lines to the rocket and allows those lines to separate during launch.
The upcoming tanking test will allow engineers to evaluate the updated hardware during full-scale propellant-loading operations.
The test will also give the launch team an opportunity to practice countdown procedures, verify ground equipment, and collect data before the complete flight vehicle is assembled.
NASA plans to conduct astronaut launch-day rehearsals and emergency exit procedures while the short stack is at the launch pad.
The crew will practice traveling from astronaut quarters to the launch complex, entering the launch tower, and following the route that would be used during an emergency evacuation.
Artemis III Will Use a Different Upper-Stage Configuration
Artemis III has a different destination and propulsion requirement from Artemis I and Artemis II.
Those missions used the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage to send Orion beyond Earth orbit.
The redesigned Artemis III mission remains in low Earth orbit. NASA is consequently preparing to fly a spacer in place of the conventional upper stage.
The spacer preserves the necessary structural arrangement between the SLS core stage and the Orion spacecraft without requiring the propulsion system used for lunar injection.
NASA reported in October that the primary spacer structure had been completed at Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Engineers were conducting dimensional checks and preparing associated adapter hardware for delivery to Kennedy Space Center in early 2027.
This configuration is separate from NASA’s plans to introduce a modified Centaur V upper stage on later Artemis missions.
The SLS configuration changes reflect the agency’s decision to maintain a more standardized launch vehicle architecture instead of introducing the previously planned Block 1B upgrade.
Three Launch Vehicles Will Support Artemis III
NASA’s October 23 Artemis III mission description provides a detailed operational sequence involving three heavy-lift launch vehicles.
Blue Origin will launch its Blue Moon Mark 2 test article first. The spacecraft will enter a circular Earth orbit approximately 273 miles above the planet.
NASA plans to launch the Orion spacecraft aboard SLS several days later, after confirming the Blue Moon test vehicle is operating properly.
Orion will initially enter an elliptical orbit before performing maneuvers to prepare for its first rendezvous.
The astronauts will dock with Blue Moon and spend approximately two days evaluating its crew cabin and supporting equipment.
They will enter the test lander and examine its controls, communications, atmosphere management, and life-support systems.
After completing the Blue Moon demonstration, Orion will separate and prepare for a second docking operation.
SpaceX will launch a Starship Version 3 test vehicle from Florida. The spacecraft will carry a docking interface at its forward end.
Orion will dock with Starship for a demonstration expected to last up to two hours.
Unlike the Blue Moon test, astronauts will not enter Starship. Engineers will instead evaluate docking performance, communications, spacecraft control, and integrated software behavior.
Four Astronauts Will Conduct the Mission
NASA has assigned three American astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut to Artemis III:
- Randy Bresnik, NASA
- Frank Rubio, NASA
- Andre Douglas, NASA
- Luca Parmitano, European Space Agency
The crew has been conducting simulations, spacecraft familiarization, survival training, and exercises involving Orion’s launch and entry spacesuits.
NASA’s October hardware update reported that the astronauts had also participated in water-recovery training with United States Navy personnel.
Following the two lander demonstrations, the mission schedule allows additional time for Orion systems evaluations and scientific investigations.
These activities include assessments of crew survival suits, docking sensors, spacecraft acoustics, thermal conditions, and human performance.
NASA also plans to conduct experiments involving biology and procedures for returning future lunar samples to Earth.
Orion will complete the mission with reentry and a Pacific Ocean splashdown off California.
Next Steps Toward the 2027 Launch
NASA’s immediate launch vehicle milestones are core-stage integration, completion of the short-stack configuration, transportation to Launch Pad 39B, and the propellant-loading test.
After the tanking demonstration, technicians will complete the remaining vehicle integration work, including installation of the mission-specific spacer, adapters, and Orion spacecraft.
NASA is maintaining its summer 2027 Artemis III target, with the mission intended to provide operational experience before the planned crewed lunar landings in 2028.
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