NASA plans 14-day test for moon landers using three rockets
The agency will launch New Glenn, SLS, and Starship to validate hardware before a 2028 crewed landing.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
NASA is preparing to launch three separate rockets to test two different moon landers in orbit. The goal is to verify that the hardware can support astronauts before the agency attempts a crewed landing near the moon's south pole in 2028.
Program manager Jeremy Parsons described the upcoming campaign as likely the most complicated launch sequence ever executed. He told reporters at Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 23 that the plan involves three of the most powerful rockets in the world. The vehicles are NASA's Space Launch System, SpaceX's Starship, and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
The sequence starts with New Glenn carrying Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander into low Earth orbit. NASA's Space Launch System will then launch the Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts. The crew consists of NASA's Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, plus European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano.
Parsons explained that SLS will place Orion in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 18 miles to 1,122 miles in altitude. The capsule will then adjust to an orbit of about 345 miles. This move is necessary because Orion was built for deep space, and the thermal environment in low Earth orbit is harsher.
The crew will spend two days checking Orion's systems. On the third day of flight, they will meet Blue Moon at an altitude of 273 miles. The two vehicles will dock for two days while the crew tests environmental controls and life support. Teams will also verify atmospheric pressure and run emergency scenarios.
SpaceX's Starship is scheduled to launch around the sixth day of flight. It will carry a specially built docking adapter. The 171-foot upper stage will meet Orion on the eighth day at an altitude of about 237 miles. The crew will not enter Starship. The two-hour encounter will provide data on docking forces and how the vehicles interact.
After undocking from Starship, the mission continues for another six to nine days. The nominal length is 14 days, though it could extend to 17. The crew will test survival suits, a task left unfinished during the April Artemis II flyby, and conduct health assessments and technology demonstrations. The mission ends with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the ocean.
This test is intended to prepare for Artemis IV. NASA has not yet decided which lander will fly the 2028 mission. Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is keeping options open to give both partners the best chance at readiness. He stated that the agency has no intention of surrendering a viable path to the surface before the data and schedule require it.
Both Blue Origin and SpaceX are planning lunar landing missions in 2028. Their approaches differ. With Blue Origin, Orion meets the lander in lunar orbit. With SpaceX, Starship will likely dock with the capsule in Earth orbit and propel it toward the moon.
NASA is targeting summer 2027 for the launch, but the date remains unclear. Isaacman told employees in an internal memo last month that the mission was about 90 days behind schedule. Parsons identified the lunar lander supply chain as a major challenge, though both leaders expressed confidence in resolving the issues.
