NASA outlines triple rocket lunar test

NASA detailed a complex orbital test on Oct. 23 that will utilize three different heavy lift rockets to validate commercial moon landers. The agency presented the concept of operations at a two hour press conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Program manager Jeremy Parsons described the upcoming campaign as involving three of the most powerful rockets in the world and likely the most complicated launch sequence ever undertaken.

The mission sequence begins with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launching the Blue Moon lander into low Earth orbit. NASA’s Space Launch System follows, carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. The crew consists of NASA’s Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. 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 approximately 345 miles to ensure thermal stability, a condition different from the deep space environment Orion is designed for.

The crew will spend two days inspecting Orion’s systems before docking with Blue Moon on Flight Day 3 at an altitude of 273 miles. For the next two days, the astronauts will enter the lander to test environmental controls and life support. Ground teams will verify atmospheric pressure, emergency protocols, and dual vehicle control capabilities. Around Flight Day 6, SpaceX’s Starship will launch with a specialized docking adapter. It will meet Orion on Flight Day 8 at 237 miles altitude. This encounter is scheduled to last roughly two hours, during which the crew will remain in Orion while collecting data on docking forces.

After undocking from Starship, the mission will continue for six to nine days before an ocean splashdown. The nominal duration is 14 days, though it could extend to 17. The crew will evaluate survival suits, a task skipped during the Artemis II flyby in April, and conduct health assessments and technology demonstrations. These tests are intended to prepare for Artemis IV, which aims to land astronauts near the moon's south pole in 2028. That mission would mark the first crewed lunar touchdown since Apollo 17 in 1972.

NASA has not yet selected which lander will fly the 2028 mission. Administrator Jared Isaacman stated the agency is preserving options for both partners. He said, “We have no intention of surrendering a viable path to the surface before the data and schedule compels us to do so.” Both providers are planning lunar landing missions for 2028, but their profiles differ. With Blue Origin, Orion meets the lander in lunar orbit. With SpaceX, Starship will likely dock in Earth orbit and propel the capsule toward the moon.

The launch date for Artemis III remains uncertain. NASA is targeting the summer of next year. However, an internal memo from Isaacman last month indicated the mission was about 90 days behind schedule. Parsons identified the lunar lander supply chain as a major challenge, though both he and Isaacman expressed confidence in resolving the issues. Isaacman noted, “We're moving with real speed and purpose right now.”