NASA details Artemis 3 plan: three heavy-lift rockets in two weeks

NASA outlined its Artemis 3 mission: Blue Origin will launch New Glenn with a test Blue Moon Mark 2 lander, then SLS will send Orion with four astronauts to rendezvous with it, and SpaceX will launch Starship v3 to dock with Orion. Launch is expected no earlier than summer 2027.

• New Glenn will place Blue Moon Mark 2 in orbit at ~273 miles before SLS launches Orion
• Crew: Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas and ESA's Luca Parmitano
• Orion's docking with Starship v3 will last about two hours without entering the ship
• The mission is three months behind schedule; Artemis 4 landing set for 2028