NASA plans Artemis III for 2027 as a crewed demonstration in low Earth orbit—not a lunar landing. Orion is to practice rendezvous and docking with one or both commercial Human Landing Systems, helping prepare for later lunar missions, according to NASA’s current mission plan.
The mission is meant to put spacecraft operations to work in orbit before astronauts attempt a later lunar landing. NASA plans to launch four crew members aboard Orion on its Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What Artemis III is designed to do
Rendezvous is the maneuver that brings spacecraft together; docking is the connection between them. NASA says Artemis III will demonstrate those operations with one or both Human Landing Systems in low Earth orbit. The agency identifies Artemis IV as the next step toward a future lunar landing.
NASA’s June 9, 2026, mission outline describes a sequence beginning with a Blue Origin pathfinder launch. Orion would then dock with a Blue Origin test unit for about two days, separate, and later rendezvous with SpaceX’s Starship test vehicle for roughly one day of tests. NASA’s current mission page describes the scope as testing one or both systems, while the June outline sets out operations involving both.
The agency estimates that the crewed flight will last about two weeks. That duration depends on launch, rendezvous, and docking operations. NASA’s planned checks include integrated equipment, interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications between Orion and the landers. These are planned activities, not completed tests. (NASA’s June 9 mission announcement)
The astronauts assigned to Artemis III
NASA named Randy Bresnik as commander, Luca Parmitano as pilot, and Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio as mission specialists. Bob Hines is the backup crew member. NASA announced the assignments on June 9, 2026, as part of its mission plan.
A planned experiment for future lunar samples
In an interview published October 12, 2026, Artemis III project scientist Barbara Cohen described a separate planned activity: exposing clean pieces of aluminum foil, Teflon, and possibly ceramic to the Orion cabin environment during the flight. The materials, which Cohen said would be roughly the size of a U.S. quarter or nickel, are intended to help scientists study how the crew changes its surroundings and how that environment could affect future lunar samples. (Cohen’s interview with WIRED en Español)
Cohen also discussed lessons from Artemis II about crew observation and science training. NeoTeo’s report on NASA’s first release of Artemis II data offers background on that earlier mission.
