NASA lays out Starship and Blue Moon test roadmap for Artemis III and IV

NASA presented its Human Landing System certification timeline at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya. Artemis III in Q3 2027 will be an orbital docking test in low Earth orbit, while the first crewed lunar landing moves to Artemis IV in early 2028.

• Artemis III in Q3 2027: four astronauts and docking with test landers in LEO
• First crewed lunar landing now planned for Artemis IV in early 2028
• SpaceX must demo orbital refueling and an uncrewed lunar landing in late 2027
• Blue Origin's 16-meter Blue Moon MK2 with three BE-7 engines gets a crew cabin for Artemis III