Key Takeaways
- Mission Success: The crew of Artemis II successfully completed their lunar flyby.
- Future Missions: Artemis III is projected for a 2027 launch but will not land on the moon.
- Next Steps: NASA anticipates Artemis IV to be the mission that lands on the moon in 2028.
- Testing Capabilities: Artemis III will test docking capabilities with commercial spacecraft.
Mission accomplished for the crew of Artemis II! Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen completed their lunar flyby aboard NASA’s Orion capsule in April 2026. Now that they’ve completed their task, astronomy enthusiasts are already looking forward to Artemis II. But will that mission actually land on the moon?
After Artemis II returned to Earth on April 10, 2026, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, “We are back in the business of sending astronauts back to the moon. This is just the beginning.”
Meanwhile, NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya reflected on the last time that NASA actually went to the moon.
“Fifty-three years ago, humanity left the moon,” Kshatriya said. “This time we return to stay. Let us finish what they started. Let us focus on what was left undone. Let us not go to plant flags and leave but to stay with firmness in our purpose.”
So, does this mean that Artemis III will go to the moon? Here’s what we know about the next mission.
When Will Artemis 3 Launch?
Artemis III is projected to launch in 2027, but an exact date has yet to be determined.
Will Artemis 3 Land on the Moon?
No, despite the excitement brought by Artemis II’s moon orbit, Artemis III will not actually land on the moon. According to NASA, the Artemis III mission will “launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.”
The crew of Artemis III — which has yet to be announced — will “ride to Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft” as a test. The mission will “test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively,” NASA indicates on its website.
What Artemis Mission Will Land on the Moon?
Artemis IV is the mission that NASA expects to land on the moon sometime in 2028. This, of course, depends on the success of Artemis III.
