Artemis III

• 1. The Return To The South Pole

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  Artemis III aims to land two astronauts at the Moon's south polar region for approximately one week. This mission marks the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972. NASA officially expects Artemis III to launch no earlier than 2028. The total mission duration including flights will be about 30 days. While up to four astronauts would launch aboard Orion, only two would land on the surface aboard Starship HLS. The others remain aboard Orion during the descent and ascent phases. Four spacewalks are planned for the two astronauts who touch down. The goal is to sample lunar water ice found in permanently shadowed craters.

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• 2. Spacecraft Systems Architecture

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  The Space Launch System serves as a super-heavy-lift launcher used to launch the Orion spacecraft from Earth to a trans-lunar orbit. Its core stage for this mission will use RS-25 engines E2048, E2052, E2054, and E2057. This will be the final mission using the variant SLS Block 1. Afterward, missions from Artemis IV until Artemis VIII will use SLS Block 1B with a more capable Exploration Upper Stage. Orion acts as the crew transport vehicle used by all Artemis missions. It transports the crew from Earth to lunar orbit and docks with Starship HLS. SpaceX developed Starship HLS to deliver it to near-rectilinear halo orbit prior to arrival of the crew. The delivery requires that Starship HLS be refueled in Earth orbit before boosting to the NRHO. At least 14 tanker flights fill a pre-positioned propellant depot in Earth orbit. Two astronauts transfer from Orion to Starship HLS which descends to the lunar surface. Following the return of the astronauts, Starship HLS is disposed of by sending it into heliocentric orbit.

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• 3. Development Timeline And Delays

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  Upon the December 2017 ratification of the first Trump administration's Space Policy Directive 1, a crewed lunar campaign was established. Originally billed as Exploration Mission-3, the goal was to send four astronauts into a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. By May 2019 however, plans shifted to accelerate the first crewed lunar landing by the end of 2024. On the 10th of August 2021, an Office of Inspector General audit reported spacesuits would not be ready until April 2025 at the earliest. Axiom Space will design the space suits with collaboration from fashion house Prada. On the 9th of November 2021, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson confirmed Artemis III will launch no earlier than 2025. In June 2023, Jim Free said that launch would probably be no earlier than 2026. Later in December 2023, the GAO reported the mission was unlikely to occur before 2027. In January 2024, NASA officially delayed Artemis III to no earlier than September 2026. On the 14th of March 2024, Starship reached its desired orbital trajectory for the first time on its third test flight. In December 2024, NASA officially delayed Artemis III to no earlier than 2027. In January 2026, NASA officially delayed Artemis III to no earlier than 2028.

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• 4. Human Landing System Procurement

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  After a multi-phase design effort, on the 16th of April 2021, NASA selected SpaceX to develop Starship HLS. The selection process faced significant hurdles regarding development timelines and technical readiness. Valve problems were identified in the spacecraft's life support system. Heat shield issues on Orion also contributed to schedule slippage. In October 2025, NASA opened bidding for the Moon landing contract to other companies due to delays encountered by SpaceX. Alternative mission options being internally evaluated by NASA include a test of docking between Orion and the SpaceX Starship HLS in low Earth orbit. The mission may become a crewed visit to the Lunar Gateway instead of a surface landing. These shifts reflect growing concerns about meeting the original objectives within the projected timeframe. The procurement process remains fluid as engineers work to resolve technical challenges.

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• 5. Scientific Payloads And Experiments

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  The suite of planned scientific observations includes sampling lunar water ice found near the south pole. On March 2024, NASA announced the inclusion of a compact autonomous seismometer suite called the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station or LEMS. LEMS will characterize the regional structure of the Moon's crust and mantle to inform models of lunar formation. Another instrument is Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora known as LEAF which investigates the impact of the lunar surface environment on space crops. The third instrument is the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer or LDA an internationally contributed payload that measures regolith ability to propagate an electric field. The European Service Module for the mission was completed and delivered to NASA in September 2024. These instruments aim to provide critical data for future long-term presence on the Moon.

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• 6. Political Budgetary Challenges

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  On the 2nd of May 2025, the second Trump administration released its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. This proposal canceled the SLS and Orion spacecraft after Artemis III due to the former's cost of $4 billion per launch. On the 4th of July 2025, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. This act included provisions that allocated funding for continued development and operation of the SLS and Orion spacecraft beyond Artemis III. On the 18th of August 2025, NASA reported it had begun processing the SLS core stage's completed bottom fifth at Kennedy Space Center. The rest of the core stage was nearing completion at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans Louisiana. It was due to be shipped to Kennedy Space Center in mid-2026. Funding debates continue as Congress weighs the high costs against the strategic value of returning humans to the lunar surface.

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