Business · Ars Technica
Two months ago, Isaacman announced Artemis III would no longer land at the Moon’s south pole
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Instead, Artemis III will be a mission akin to Apollo 9, which tested the Apollo lunar lander in Earth orbit four months before Apollo 11’s historic landing at the Sea of Tranquility with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
Key facts
- Instead, Artemis III will be a mission akin to Apollo 9, which tested the Apollo lunar lander in Earth orbit four months before Apollo 11’s historic landing at the Sea of Tranquility with Neil
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers on Monday that SpaceX and Blue Origin, the agency’s two lunar lander contractors, say they could have their spacecraft ready for the next Artemis
- The reporter has received responses from both vendors, both SpaceX and Blue Origin, to meet their needs for a late 2027 rendezvous, docking, and test of the interoperability of both landers in advance
- Once inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy, the stage will be prepared to receive its engine section with four RS-25 main engines
Summary
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers on Monday that SpaceX and Blue Origin, the agency’s two lunar lander contractors, say they could have their spacecraft ready for the next Artemis mission in Earth orbit in late 2027, somewhat later than NASA’s previous schedule. This mission, Artemis III, will not fly to the Moon. A mission to low-Earth orbit, a few hundred miles in altitude, may not require NASA to use up an SLS upper stage that is already built and in storage, saving the unit for the following Artemis mission to attempt a landing on the Moon. Also in question is which of the landers — SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon —Artemis III will attempt to link to in space, or if NASA will try to incorporate both landers into the flight plan, assuming they are ready.