NASA Artemis update: SLS stacking, lighter sortie suit, dual 2028 paths

NASA's October Artemis update covers SLS booster stacking, a lighter "sortie" version of the AxEMU spacesuit, and two parallel lunar landing architectures. Artemis III, a low-Earth-orbit mission no earlier than summer 2027, will dock Orion with prototype Blue Moon and Starship landers. ULA's stretched Centaur V is now the standardized upper stage, with the Artemis IV decision due next summer.

• Artemis III targets no earlier than summer 2027, docking Orion with Blue Moon and Starship
• Stubby SLS tanking tests slip several months to fix hydrogen leaks at TSM umbilicals
• Axiom's sortie suit is rated for at least two hours and not for shadowed polar regions
• Stretched Centaur V chosen as upper stage; Artemis IV decision set for next summer