NASA Lists Artemis III for 2027 and Artemis IV Lunar Landing for 2028

NASA has listed Artemis III with a 2027 milestone and Artemis IV with launch and landing in 2028. The plan returns Americans to the lunar surface through industry partnerships.

Artemis III has a 2027 milestone. It will put Orion with 4 astronauts in Earth orbit for 14 days and test rendezvous, docking and operations while carrying lunar lander test vehicles.

Artemis IV is listed with both a 2028 launch date and a 2028 landing date. Its launch site is Kennedy Space Center, and NASA's status goal is to return Americans to the lunar surface in 2028.

SLS is assigned to launch Orion and its crew. Artemis III hardware is on track, and NASA lists an in-house test of a critical fuel-line component; 5 months are listed in connection with that component.

NASA's partnerships include industry partners, SpaceX and Blue Origin for lunar landers, and Axiom Space as spacesuit provider for the Sortie suit. The Sortie suit is described as a second, lighter suit design.

The listed payload includes a Blue Moon lander test article from Blue Origin and a Version 3 Starship lander test article from SpaceX. SpaceX and Blue Origin are listed with redesigned approaches.

For Artemis IV, 2 options are listed. Starship is to refuel in Earth orbit, rendezvous with Orion and carry a spacecraft toward the Moon, while Blue Origin is to transfer stages in Earth orbit and the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander is associated with a closer lunar orbit.

SLS is listed with an interim cryogenic propulsion stage, and ULA Centaur V is listed as a stretched version carrying more propellant.

The dates give lunar-industry readers a near-term schedule for crewed return: Artemis III in 2027 and Artemis IV in 2028, with the latter aimed at returning Americans to the lunar surface.

The plan assigns specific roles to commercial partners: SpaceX and Blue Origin provide lunar landers and payload test articles, while Axiom Space provides the Sortie suit. SLS and ULA Centaur V are listed with launch and propulsion details.

Earth-orbit operations - rendezvous, docking, refueling and stage transfer - are the technical activities the facts tie to the 2027 and 2028 plan.

On Oct. 14, 2026, this site noted that NASA had set an Artemis III update for 2 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center.

A week later, on Oct. 21, 2026, we reported that Artemis III had been redefined as a 2027 low Earth orbit rendezvous, using Orion and including Blue Origin and SpaceX.

Artemis III has a 2027 milestone.

Artemis IV is listed for a 2028 launch and a 2028 landing at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA's status goal is to return Americans to the lunar surface in 2028.