NASA plans to launch three massive rockets for the Artemis 3 crewed lunar test mission

The agency has mapped a tightly choreographed sequence that begins with Blue Origin lofting a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander aboard the New Glenn into a 273‑mile low‑Earth orbit. Within days, NASA will launch the Space Launch System carrying Orion and a four‑person crew (Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano) to a 345‑mile orbit, where it will rendezvous and dock with the Blue Moon vehicle. After a short stay, Orion will separate, reposition, and later dock with SpaceX’s Starship v3, which will be equipped with a forward‑mounted docking adapter for a two‑hour link. The crew will not board Starship but will verify Orion’s interface, then spend roughly five more days in orbit before returning to Earth. NASA frames the dual‑docking test as a proof point for Orion’s ability to work with “two very different commercial lander architectures” ahead of any actual lunar landing.

This plan reflects the Artemis program’s pivot from a 2025 crewed landing to a 2028 schedule, emphasizing in‑orbit validation over a direct surface mission. By spreading risk across Blue Origin and SpaceX, NASA is leveraging commercial competition to accelerate hardware maturation while keeping the SLS as the flagship deep‑space launch system. The inclusion of an ESA astronaut underscores the program’s international partnership model. The schedule also signals NASA’s willingness to accept a staggered approach: first certify Orion’s docking, then move on to lunar descent, rather than attempting a single‑shot moon landing with untested commercial landers.

The roadmap carries several risk vectors. New Glenn’s launchpad suffered a hot‑fire explosion in May, and its readiness by year‑end is still unproven, potentially jeopardizing the early test window. Starship’s version 3 has only completed one flight, and its docking hardware remains unverified in an operational environment. Meanwhile, the SLS continues to grapple with cost overruns and launch‑cadence constraints, and any slip could compress the already delayed Artemis 3 timeline, threatening the 2028 Artemis 4 landing window. Watch for updates on New Glenn’s pad refurbishment, Starship’s docking demonstration, and any revised launch dates from NASA’s Office of Human Spaceflight.