NASA has outlined key milestones and timelines for SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar landers, including orbital refuelling tests and uncrewed landing demos through to early 2028. Artemis III, now a test mission in LEO, is set for Q3 2027.
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01Summary
- 01NASA’s Steve Creech presented development schedules for both landers at the Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Turkey, on 5 October.
- 02Artemis III, targeted for Q3 2027, will involve a crewed Orion docking with test versions of both landers in low Earth orbit.
- 03The first crewed lunar landing since Apollo is now scheduled for Artemis IV in early 2028.
- 04SpaceX must achieve a propellant transfer demo in orbit; Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK2 lander will include a crew cabin for astronauts to enter during Artemis III.
- 05Key milestones for SpaceX in 2026 include catching the V3 booster and Ship upper stage, launching from Florida, and building the Starship crew cabin.
02Why it matters
These timelines determine when astronauts will next walk on the moon, affecting the pace of NASA's Artemis programme and the competitive race between SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver crewed lunar landers.
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