NASA presented a revised Artemis schedule at Kennedy Space Center on October 23, 2026: Artemis III is planned as a crewed test in Earth orbit in 2027, Artemis IV targets the first crewed Artemis lunar landing in early 2028, and Artemis V offers another landing opportunity later that year. These are planning targets, not completed missions.
NASA’s Artemis schedule for 2027 and 2028
| Mission | Target window | Planned objective |
| Artemis III | 2027 | Crewed rendezvous and docking tests in Earth orbit |
| Artemis IV | Early 2028 | First crewed Artemis lunar landing |
| Artemis V | Toward late 2028 | Another lunar-landing opportunity |
Artemis III is not the landing mission. The plan places it in Earth orbit to rehearse operations between Orion and the commercial lunar landers before the later surface missions. NASA’s schedule was presented at the October 23 briefing; the mission details below are reported plans.
Readers can find background on the orbital rehearsal in NeoTeo’s earlier Artemis III coverage.
What Artemis III is designed to test
The planned 2027 mission carries four crew members for about 14 days. Orion is expected to rendezvous and dock first with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 test vehicle, then conduct a separate docking test with a SpaceX Starship Version 3 test article. Rendezvous means maneuvering two spacecraft into position near each other; docking connects them.
The crew is expected to enter Blue Moon Mark 2 for about two days to evaluate its life support, controls and habitability. They are not expected to enter Starship. The Orion-Starship docking demonstration is planned to last up to two hours.
The mission’s reported test plan also includes spacesuit evaluations inside Orion, cabin-acoustics measurements, science and technology demonstrations, and procedures for returning future lunar samples. These orbital checks are preparation for later lunar missions, not surface operations themselves.
Artemis IV and V target lunar surface missions
Artemis IV is the target for the first crewed Artemis landing, in early 2028. The reported plan calls for four astronauts aboard Orion, with two descending to the lunar surface near the south pole while two remain in Orion. The surface crew is expected to make two lunar walks of about two hours each and collect samples. Axiom Space suits are planned for the surface activity.
Artemis V is another landing opportunity targeted toward the end of 2028. The reported plan leaves the first crewed landing vehicle to whichever provider meets the mission’s technical and safety requirements, rather than guaranteeing that assignment to either Blue Origin or SpaceX.
What the schedule depends on
The 2028 targets depend on test results, vehicle readiness and safety certification. The October schedule sets out a sequence of planned milestones; it does not make the landing dates guarantees.
One reported estimate illustrates a technical challenge for Starship’s planned lunar role. A Reddit post recounting remarks by NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel member Charlie Precourt put the number of fuel-delivery flights at about 22; the post also reported Elon Musk’s estimate of six to eight. It described uncertainty around propellant boil-off and transfer efficiency, factors that affect how much fuel reaches the vehicle.
