(NewsNation) — With NASA’s Artemis II mission complete, the space agency is now moving full speed ahead toward its next goal: returning Americans to the moon.
NASA plans to resume crewed missions in 2027 with Artemis III. The mission will involve testing one or both commercial lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin, beginning in low Earth orbit.
Artemis III plans from NASA
“The plan is to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and the commercial aircraft in order to eventually land astronauts on the moon,” NASA said.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the crew for Artemis III will be revealed in the near future.
USS John P. Murtha returns to Southern California carrying Orion spacecraft
Following Artemis III, NASA is targeting launches for Artemis IV and Artemis V in 2028.
NASA says Artemis IV will travel to lunar orbit and send two astronauts to the moon’s surface for about a week near the lunar south pole. The crew will collect samples and data aimed at expanding knowledge of both the Moon and Earth.
Artemis IV plans from NASA for 2028
Artemis V plans from NASA for 2028
The mission would mark the first time humans have walked on the lunar surface since 1972.
Artemis V is also planned as a lunar surface mission and is expected to take place as NASA begins building a sustained base on the Moon.
NASA calls Artemis II mission a success
During Artemis II’s nearly 10‑day mission, astronauts traveled deeper into space than any previous human mission, capturing views of the moon’s far side not previously seen by human eyes. A total solar eclipse added to the visuals.
Background on NASA’s Artemis program
Timeline of NASA’s Artemis program
On its record‑setting flyby, the crew reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles, or 406,771 kilometers, from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13 before looping back behind the Moon.
The mission also produced a striking “Earthset” image showing the blue planet setting behind the Moon’s gray, cratered surface.
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