Artemis is NASA's mission to land the first woman and next man on the Moon before 2030. Using humans and robots to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before, Artemis is the first step in establishing a base on the Moon. Because the task of establishing a base on the Moon is challenging, NASA, commercial space developers, and international partners are working together under the Artemis program. Colonizing the Moon is viewed as the first step on the road to Mars for human adventurers. NASA is not racing to the Moon, but working to establish a base on the lunar surface. The first launch of the Space Launch System and the Orion capsule has successfully traveled to the Moon and back! The Artemis-2 mission sent astronauts around the Moon and back in April 2026.
The Apollo mission was extremely successful, but most space activists were unhappy because the excitement of lunar exploration came to an abrupt halt. The Artemis mission promises to be different because it is intended as the first giant step into the era of lunar settlement. Artemis will provide many lessons learned to enable the first human steps on the red planet, Mars.
Although Artemis with its 2028 timeline is an ambitious project, continued work on this path should ensure a human mission to the Moon in this decade.
The Artemis mission will take four astronauts to the Moon using the Orion spacecraft. The human landing system is being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin that will take two astronauts down to the Moon's South Pole. The astronauts, a woman and a man, are expected to spend a week on the surface exploring and carrying out scientific studies. Hopefully they can sample water ice that was detected at the Moon's South pole by a number of spacecraft and is believed to be accessible.
Reasons for returning to the Moon include scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build a permanent presence. NASA is also hoping to inspire a new generation of explorers. There is a desire to commercialize the moon's resources as well as to build a human settlement that continues to excite humans all over the globe. See below for more details on the planned Artemis lunar missions.
To ensure mission success, NASA is sending scientific equipment ahead of time using commercially developed lunar landers. This should allow longer stay times.
A typical Artemis mission will proceed roughly as follows, taking humans to the Moon. The Space Launch System (SLS) will launch from Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Astronauts will be carried to Earth orbit in the Orion capsule. The second stage of the SLS, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) will fire, taking the capsule out of Earth’s orbit. Astronauts will continue toward the Moon. For lunar landing, astronauts will need to rendezvous with the lunar lander using the Lunar Gateway Space Station.
Orion must pass through the Van Allen radiation belts and use NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) system to communicate through NASA's Deep Space Network. The trip to the Moon will take several days, while NASA engineers evaluate the spacecraft and assure it stays on the proper course. Orion will use the Moon's gravity to establish a retrograde orbit (opposite from the Earth's orbit) about 40,000 miles (70,000 km) above the Moon's surface.
Astronauts will land on the surface only during the fourth mission. They will be able to walk on the lunar surface wearing newly designed spacesuits. During the Artemis-4 mission, astronauts are expected to stay on the surface for about six and a half days.
For the return trip to Earth, Orion will do a close flyby about 60 miles above the Moon’s surface. Using the ESA service module, Orion's flyby will allow it to maneuver into an orbit that will return it to Earth. Orion will encounter Earth's atmosphere traveling at 25,000 mph (11 km per second). The temperature will reach ~5,000 deg. F (2,760 deg. C) that is, faster and hotter than Orion experienced during its 2014 test flight.
The mission will end with a test of Orion’s capability to return safely to the Earth as the spacecraft makes landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja, California. A successful mission will mean that the Orion Spacecraft will have traveled for three weeks and more than 1.3 million miles.
New Spacesuits to Return to the Moon!
For the Artemis mission, NASA is working on better spacesuits building on the knowledge gained by the astronauts' last visits to the lunar surface. Moonwalkers will wear spacesuits provided by Axiom Space. Axiom was selected by NASA to develop the modern suits for the Artemis III mission, called the "Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit", or "AxEMU" for short. The AxEMU builds on NASA’s spacesuit prototype developments. These suits are expected to be endowed with the latest technology, enhanced mobility, and protection from hazards at the Moon.
The suits will be developed under the NASA Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS), a $1.26-billion contract. Under the first $228 million task order, Axiom will begin the development of better astronaut spacesuits to support the Artemis lunar missions. Axiom Space has partnered with KBR, Air-Lock, Arrow Science and Technology, David Clark Co., Paragon Space Development Corp. Sophic Synergistics, and A-P-T Research to fulfill the contract.
Overview of Artemis Missions
Artemis-1
Artemis 1 launched on November 16 and returned to Earth on December 11, 2022
SLS and Artemis-1 take flight!
NASA launched the Artemis-1 mission from Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B at 1:47 am EST on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
The Artemis 1 launch carried the uncrewed Orion capsule into the sky, lighting up the night for cheering observers. Orion separated from its upper stage and began coasting to the Moon. For most of the journey, Orion is powered by its service module that was provided by ESA (European Space Agency) through an international collaboration.
Artemis-1 concluded its mission with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:40 pm.
Artemis-I recovery after splash down credit: NASA
Artemis-1 was an uncrewed flight test to prove the systems that will next take humans to the Moon. The first flight of SLS is also referred to as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). It was the first integrated test of NASA's Artemis space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center. SLS launched from LC-39B with the solid rocket boosters and the core stage carrying the Orion capsule into Earth orbit. After main engine cut-off the core stage dropped away. Orion deployed its solar arrays and the SLS's second stage the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) fired, taking the capsule out of Earth’s orbit setting the Orion Spacecraft on a Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) orbit. About 10 minutes after the TLI burn, The ICPS second stage separated and the European Space Agency's Service Module (ESM) provided Orion's propulsion system and power throughout the mission.
The Orion passed through the Van Allen radiation belts and used NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system to communicate through the Deep Space Network. The trip to the Moon will take several days, while NASA engineers evaluated the spacecraft and assured it stayed on the proper course. The main engine on the ESM was tested, then Orion began a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) around the Moon and back. This type of orbit took Orion one lap around the Moon that will take 12 days. This is a retrograde orbit (opposite from the Earth's orbit) about 40,000 miles (70,000 km) above the Moon's surface.
Next, Orion made a close flyby within ~60 miles of the Moon’s surface. Another well-timed firing from the ESM sent Orion back toward Earth. The spacecraft entered Earth’s atmosphere traveling at 25,000 mph conducting a second test of the important heat shield. The mission ended when Orion returned safely to the Earth off the coast of Baja, California. Orion remained powered until it was recovered by teams from the waiting recovery ship.
This image shows NASA's plan for Artemis I, provided by NASA, a high resolution image can be found at their website.
+ + Get complete coverage of the Artemis-1 mission here at Astra's Stargate.
Artemis-2
NASA launches Artemis-2
NASA launched the Artemis-2 mission from Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT) on April 1, 2026.
The Artemis-2 mission successfully returned to Earth on April 10, 2026.
Artemis-2 was the first scheduled crewed mission of Artemis, although the astronauts did not step out on the Moon. It was the dry run for the actual lunar landing mission. Following the steps taken by the first demonstration mission, the Artemis-2 mission stayed in Earth orbit for 42 hours to test the capabilities of the spacecraft’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) before committing astronauts to the Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) that sent them to the Moon. The crew went into lunar orbit, traveling 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the Moon. They were able to see the Earth and the Moon from the spacecraft. They also were privileged to see a total eclipse of the Sun from behind the Moon. Orion performed Return Trajectory Adjustment (RTA) burns to send the spacecraft back to Earth. When the Orion spacecraft reached Earth, it separated from the Service Module and the astronauts plummeted through the atmosphere protected by the spacecraft's heat shield that will withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees F during re-entry. The parachutes were deployed and Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. This mission lasted about 10 days.
The Artemis-II mission was launched on April 1, 2026.
Announced on April 3, 2023, NASA named the astronauts that are launching aboard Artemis-2. NASA astronauts include commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
Reid Wiseman served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during Expedition 41 in 2014, successfully completing two spacewalks. Artemis-2 will be Victor Glover's second spaceflight, he previously served as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. He performed as a flight engineer aboard the ISS during Expedition 64, making four spacewalks. Christina Koch is also making her second flight into space. She served as flight engineer aboard the ISS during Expedition 59, 60, and 61, setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman - - 328 days in space! Christina also participated in the first all-female spacewalks. Representing Canada, Jeremy Hansen is making his first spaceflight. He was as an astronaut recruit by CSA in May 2009. He has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson and was the first Canadian selected to lead a NASA training astronaut class.
This image shows NASA's plan for Artemis II, provided by NASA, a high resolution image can be found at their website.
+ + Get complete coverage of the Artemis-II mission here at Astra's Stargate.
Mission Shakeup!!NASA announced a major change to the Artemis architecture on February 27, 2026. There will be updates to this page as the mission details are updated by NASA.
Artemis-3 Low Earth Orbit Mission
Artemis III is an upcoming crewed spaceflight mission that will take place in low Earth orbit. Originally designated as the Artemis flight that took astronauts to the lunar surface, NASA announced a major change to the Artemis architecture on February 27, 2026. Artemis III will be an orbital mission, intended to demonstrate orbital operations with the two lunar landing systems built by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The mission is expected to launch in mid-2027.
The current plan for Artemis-3 is for Blue Origin to launch the MK Lander that can orbit Earth for 90 days. The SLS rocket will carry four astronauts to orbit and rendezvous with the MK lander. The astronauts will enter the lander and stay for two days. Starship HLS will launch and rendezvous with the Orion Crew.
+ + Find in-depth coverage of the Artemis-III mission here at Astra's Stargate.
Artemis-4 (was Artemis-3)
Artemis-4 will be humankind's next mission to the lunar surface. It will follow the same steps as the Artemis-2 with a big difference. This time, two astronauts are going to land on the moon and take moon walks. When Artemis-4 lands on the Moon, it will bring the first woman to the lunar surface. The NASA image of Artemis is shown here.
Artemis-4 calls for a surface stay of up to six and a half days. After Orion arrives at the Moon’s south polar region astronauts will be able to explore the surface of the Moon. Artemis 4 will be the first mission to begin the construction of the Artemis Base Camp, now known as, "Moon Base". This would be humanity’s first permanent field station on the lunar surface.
The goal is for the crew to take at least four moon walks with a possible fifth excursion if resources allow. For Artemis-4, astronauts will only explore the surface as far as their spacesuits will allow. For future crewed missions, NASA plans to deliver the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to the surface in advance of the astronauts. This would allow an extravehicular activity (EVA) to cover greater distances and allow more capability for collecting samples from the Moon.
This image shows NASA's plan for Artemis III now a placeholder for a similar graphic showing the human lunar landing. This is provided by NASA, a high resolution image can be found at their website.
NOTE: This graphic has not yet been updated by NASA.
+ + Find in-depth coverage of the Artemis-IV mission here at Astra's Stargate.
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Artemis-5 was Artemis-4
There will be new details in the future. This mission originally called for the build up of a space station in orbit around the Earth-Moon L2 point. This was to be the Lunar Gateway. That is now cancelled. This section has been updated, but in-depth details are not included.
The four astronauts will use SLS to reach lunar orbit. Two astronauts will enter SpaceX's Starship, undock, land on the lunar surface, and spend about six days on the lunar surface. After landing on the Moon, the astronauts will conduct moonwalks. Using advanced spacesuits, they will take Starship’s elevator to the surface to carry out their exploration duties. They will conduct geology research, deploy instruments, and collect samples from the surface. When the surface mission is complete, the two astronauts will launch on Starship from the lunar surface and return to lunar orbit. Together, the four astronauts will journey back to Earth aboard Orion, splashing down in the ocean.
NASA has selected Human Landing System for the Artemis program. There is more information on the lunar landers below.
Waiting for updates on the future of the Artemis program, however, the information found here was part of the previous architecture. The Artemis-6 mission is the fifth mission of the Artemis program and will take another four astronauts into space. Two astronauts will be the third crew of the Artemis mission to walk on the lunar surface. The other two astronauts stay on the Lunar Gateway. Artemis 5 will also deliver a second European Space Agency (ESA) module for the Gateway called, "Lunar View".
During Artemis-5, the Lunar View refueling module will become part of Gateway’s core structure. Lunar View measures 4.6 meters in diameter and 6.4 meters in length. The module will transport cargo to the Gateway, provide storage space while docked, provide fuel to the Gateway propulsion system, and provide a view of the Moon through its six windows.
+ + Read an article from ESA about the Artemis V mission
NASA’s powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) will send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft nearly a quarter million miles from Earth to lunar orbit. Astronauts will transfer to a human landing system for expeditions to the surface of the Moon. They will return to the orbital outpost to board Orion again before returning safely to Earth.
+ + For more in-depth information on SLS, go to Astra's Space Launch System main article.
The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) provides the thrust to propel the Orion crew capsule out of Earth orbit towards the Moon after the solid rocket boosters and core stage have been expended. The ICPS is built by United Launch Alliance in partnership with Boeing.
European Space Agency's Service Module (ESM)
ESA's Service Module provides the thrust to propel the Orion crew capsule out of Earth orbit towards the Moon after the ICPS sets the spacecraft into lunar orbit. The ESM is a complex system that provides thrust to the spacecraft and life support for the astronauts.
Human Landing System (HLS)
In September 2019, NASA released a Broad Agency Announcement for USA industry to propose designs for a human lunar landing. On April 30, 2020, NASA announced selection of three companies to begin development on the Artemis Human Landing System (HLS) - - Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX. The HLS Program conducted Certification Baseline Reviews (CBR) with the three competing companies in October 2020. In October 2021, SpaceX won the contract with its Starship lunar lander under development.
SpaceX Starship HLS Concept Artwork
In October 2021, SpaceX won the first human landing system contract with its Starship lunar lander under development. SpaceX is working on a modified version of the Starship currently developing and testing at Boca Chica, TX. The Starship lander includes a large cabin and two airlocks for astronauts to perform moon walks. An elevator will take the crew from the Starship's crew compartment to the lunar surface. Because of its great size, the structure of the Starship might be used for developing a lunar colony.
Blue Moon Lander Artwork
In May 2023, NASA selected Blue Origin and the National Team to design, develop, test, and verify its human moon lander to meet NASA’s human landing system requirements. The Blue Moon lander will support recurring astronaut expeditions to the lunar surface, including docking with Gateway, the space station in lunar orbit where the crew transfers to the landing system. The contract includes an uncrewed demonstration mission to the lunar surface before a crewed demo on the Artemis V mission in 2029. The contract that was awarded is fixed-price at $3.4 billion.
In order to encourage commercial development in lunar exploration, NASA set up a program for American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. American companies will deliver payloads for NASA, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. As part of the Artemis mission, commercial flights to the lunar surface began in 2024. These lunar landing missions include science experiments, testing technologies and demonstrating capabilities that will help NASA explore the Moon and prepare for human missions.
Originally, nine U.S. companies entered the CLPS project in November 2018. As NASA expanded science, technology, and human exploration requirements, more contractors were added to the program. As of July, 2026, NASA has expanded the CLPS program to include 17 lunar cargo deliveries and over 60 science instruments to the Moon. NASA wants to continue working with the contractors that are already in the system, so new cargo landers will be built by these providers.
The image below shows the landing sites for upcoming CLPS deliveries and the lunar surface destinations that are planned for the deliveries of cargo landers and instruments. Those that are contracted with CLPS providers show commercial company and its lander. This image comes from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Deliveries page. When on that page, each delivery location is clickable and leads to more information about the payloads and the expected scientific return.
Part 1 - Near side Missions | Part 2 - Far side Missions | Part 2 - South Pole Missions
Lunar Gateway was a space station being planned by international organizations, most of them are members of the International Space Station partnership. The lunar space station was cancelled in early 2026. Gateway was a spacecraft that will be parked in a special lunar orbit usually referred to as a near rectilinear halo orbit or "NRHO". The NRHO is an important orbit for lunar missions. The orbit uses the L1 center of mass between Earth and the Moon.
- - Astra's Lunar Gateway Page is not currently being update, but the information still good.
Watch this NASA video (length 5:31) posted in December 2019 that explains the Artemis mission:
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched on June 18, 2009, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Launch Complex 41 with the Lunar Crater Observation and the Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). LRO entered lunar orbit on June 23, 2009 and began its mission on September 15, 2009.
- Family fun and educational activities, great for teachers and STEM educators. Join NASA's Artemis Student Challenges. Educators will find materials to use in their classroom. NASA also offers scholarship information.
Artemis I - SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on the pad at KSC
