Artemis III Moon Landing Delayed; NASA Plans Earth Orbit Test in Late 2027

Breaking: Artemis III to Test Landers in Earth Orbit, No Moon Landing Before Late 2027

NASA's ambitious Artemis III mission will not land astronauts on the Moon as originally planned. Instead, the agency will conduct a critical Earth orbit rendezvous test no earlier than late 2027, according to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

"SpaceX and Blue Origin, our two lunar lander contractors, have indicated they can have their spacecraft ready for an orbital meeting in late 2027," Isaacman told lawmakers Monday. The announcement marks a significant shift from previous schedules that targeted a lunar landing.

Mission Details Still Fluid

The revised Artemis III flight will launch an Orion capsule with a crew to rendezvous and potentially dock with one or both landers in Earth orbit. Key parameters remain under review, including the orbit's altitude and the configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

NASA is weighing two options. A low Earth orbit (a few hundred miles up) would allow the agency to save an existing SLS upper stage for a later lunar attempt. A higher orbit would provide a more Moon-like environment for testing but would consume that upper stage.

"We're still finalizing the altitude and whether we use the stored upper stage or purchase a new one," a NASA spokesperson added. The agency is already procuring a new commercial upper stage, the Centaur V from United Launch Alliance, for flights after the existing stock is depleted.

Background

Artemis III was originally billed as the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission was to use SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander to put astronauts on the lunar surface. But technical hurdles and budget constraints forced a reassessment.

Earlier this year, NASA acknowledged that the landers were not ready for a 2025–2026 launch. The decision to first test them in Earth orbit emerged as a compromise to maintain momentum and validate systems without the risk of a full lunar mission.

The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, with a crewed landing now expected no earlier than 2028. Congress has appropriated billions for the effort, but lawmakers have pressed for realistic timelines.

What This Means

The Earth orbit test buys time for lander development while still flying astronauts. "It's a prudent step—proving the hardware in a near-space environment before committing to a lunar trajectory," said Dr. Lisa Porter, a former NASA deputy administrator.

The delay pushes the first woman and next man on the Moon to at least 2028. It also underscores NASA's reliance on commercial partners and the challenges of integrating diverse spacecraft. The SLS rocket, already years behind schedule, will now fly with a mix of old and new upper stages.

For the space industry, the revised plan signals that NASA is willing to adapt its architecture to keep the program on track—even if that means no Moon landing for another five years.