NASA outlined how the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket & the Orion spacecraft will work in tandem with SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to land Artemis III astronauts on the Lunar South Pole in 2026 (*previously scheduled for 2025). The Artemis III mission will launch four astronauts, including the first woman to ever set foot on the lunar surface. Humanity has not returned to the Moon since 1972.

NASA demonstrated SLS & Orion’s capabilities for the first time on November 16, 2022. SLS launched Orion from Launch Pad-39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The uncrewed Orion was deployed to orbit & used its onboard engines to propel itself towards lunar orbit. It took Orion 5 days to reach the Moon, flying within 81-miles of its surface to conduct a maneuver that harnessed the Moon’s gravity to orbit around it. Orion returned to Earth after 26 days on December 11, 2022.

The Orion spacecraft is designed to dock to SpaceX’s Starship HLS so that the crew can transfer to land on the lunar surface. NASA shared outlines of the Artemis III flight plan, pictured below. Orion will perform a series of two engine burns to fly in a lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). The orbit was selected so that the crew can maintain constant communication with Mission Control on Earth, the orbit also maximizes fuel efficiency. SLS/Orion will perform its first crewed demonstration mission around the Moon in 2024. *UPDATE: Artemis II mission will now liftpff until 2025*. The agency already selected the Artemis II crew.

“NASA has selected SpaceX to provide the human landing system that will transport Artemis III astronauts from Orion in lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back again,” said NASA representatives. “SpaceX plans to use a unique concept of operations to increase the overall efficiency of their lander. After a series of tests, SpaceX will fly at least one uncrewed demo mission that lands Starship on the lunar surface. When Starship has met all of NASA’s requirements & high standards for crew safety, it will be ready for its first Artemis mission.”

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“Before the crew launch, SpaceX will launch a storage depot to Earth orbit. A series of reusable tankers will carry propellant to the storage depot to fuel the human landing system. The uncrewed Starship human landing system will then launch to Earth orbit & rendezvous with the storage depot to fill its tanks before executing a translunar injection engine burn and traveling approximately six days to NRHO where it will await the Artemis III crew,” explained the agency. “When both spacecraft have arrived in NRHO, Orion will dock with the Starship human landing system in preparation for the first lunar surface expedition of the 21st century.”

Then a pair of astronauts will board Starship while the others remain inside Orion to monitor the Moon landing operations from lunar orbit. “Orion will undock & back away from Starship to remain in NRHO for roughly one orbit around the Moon, lasting about 6.5 days,” shared NASA. “This will match the length of the surface expedition, so as Orion completes its orbit, the two person surface crew will finish their work on the surface in time to launch back up to meet the spacecraft.” The crew will return to Earth aboard Orion with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the ocean, while Starship remains in lunar orbit.

During the 6.5 day lunar exploration mission, the astronauts will be tasked to conduct moonwalks to collect samples. NASA said the astronauts will sleep inside SpaceX’s Starship where they will have all necessary equipment to survive on the Moon. The Artemis III mission will pave the way for future lunar exploration missions. Long-term, NASA & SpaceX aim to create a future where scientists can have access to visit a Lunar base frequently.

All Featured Images Source: NASA & SpaceX

* 4/19/2024 Editor’s Note: Dates were updated in the story to reflect new NASA Artemis Mission timeline.