NASA's Artemis program is ushering in a new era of lunar exploration, with ambitious missions planned throughout the late 2020s. The program's primary goals are to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and to prepare for future missions to Mars.
Artemis II, now targeted for no earlier than April 2026, will be the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will conduct a lunar flyby, testing the Orion spacecraft and its systems. This mission is critical for validating the safety and capabilities of the spacecraft for future lunar missions.
Artemis III, planned for mid-2027, aims to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. This mission will utilize SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to transport astronauts to the lunar surface. The crew will conduct scientific studies and explore the South Pole region, searching for valuable resources, such as water ice. This mission will mark the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Artemis IV, targeted for late 2028, will focus on assembling the Lunar Gateway space station. The mission will deliver the International Habitation Module (I-Hab) to the Gateway, which is being developed by the European Space Agency and the Japanese space agency JAXA. This mission will utilize the Block 1B version of the Space Launch System (SLS) and will also include a second lunar landing using the Starship HLS.