Artemis III Is Now an Earth-Orbit Test, Not a Moon Landing
Matthew Leo · Published April 13, 2026 · Last updated September 29, 2026 · News
Correction: An earlier version of this article said Artemis III would land astronauts on the Moon in late 2026. NASA has changed the mission. Artemis III is now a crewed demonstration in low Earth orbit planned for 2027, while the agency is targeting Artemis IV for the first crewed lunar landing in 2028.
NASA says Artemis III will test rendezvous and docking between the Orion spacecraft and one or both commercial human landing systems being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The mission is meant to reduce risk before astronauts attempt a lunar landing.
What Artemis III will do
The crew will launch aboard Orion on NASA's Space Launch System rocket. In low Earth orbit, Orion will practise the operations needed to meet and dock with a commercial lander. NASA's current plan allows it to evaluate lander systems without committing a crew to a lunar descent before the hardware is ready.
NASA explains the revised mission on its Artemis III page and in a more detailed mission-plan update. Independent coverage from the Associated Press also describes Artemis III as a 2027 Earth-orbit docking exercise.
The Moon landing moves to Artemis IV
NASA is targeting early 2028 for Artemis IV. Two crew members would transfer from Orion to a commercial lander, descend near the Moon's south pole and spend about a week on the surface before returning to lunar orbit. Lander readiness will determine which provider flies that mission.
That schedule remains a target, not a guarantee. The commercial landers, spacesuits, launch hardware and mission operations all have to be ready. NASA's Artemis IV page describes the current architecture and timing.
The Canadian connection
Canada remains part of the Artemis program through the Canadian Space Agency's work on Gateway and Canadarm3. However, Artemis III is no longer the lunar-landing mission described in the original article. Readers following Canada's role should separate the completed Artemis II flight, the planned Artemis III demonstration and the later Artemis IV landing attempt.
The main correction is straightforward: Artemis III will not land people on the Moon. It is a low-Earth-orbit test intended to prepare for a possible Artemis IV landing in 2028.
Tags: NASA, Artemis, Moon, Space Exploration