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yesterday

NASA Resets Artemis: In‑Orbit Test on Artemis III, First Moon Landing Now Targeted for Early 2028

NASA frames the stepwise plan as a way to rebuild launch cadence to cut risk after recent test failures.

The Orion spacecraft points at the moon from its perch atop the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as it was rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 25, 2026.
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Overview

  • The agency formally reordered its flight sequence, turning Artemis III into a low‑Earth‑orbit rendezvous and docking test with at least one commercial lunar lander.
  • Artemis IV is now designated for the first crewed lunar landing with an early‑2028 target, and officials described a second landing that year as possible but not committed.
  • Artemis II’s crewed lunar flyby will not launch before April after hydrogen and helium issues led teams to roll the SLS and Orion back from the pad for inspections and repairs.
  • NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel recently labeled the previous Artemis III landing plan a “significant risk,” citing too many first‑time elements in a single mission.
  • SpaceX and Blue Origin, which are developing lunar landers for Artemis, publicly endorsed NASA’s revised approach and reiterated support for the 2028 surface goal.