NASA Sets 14-Day Test Before Crew Attempts Moon Landing

NASA detailed a 14-day mission on Oct. 23 that would send four astronauts into orbit to test commercial moon landers before any crew attempts a landing. The briefing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ran more than two hours.

Artemis program manager Jeremy Parsons described the flight as involving "three of the most powerful rockets in the world" and "likely the most complicated launch campaign ever undertaken." The rockets are NASA's Space Launch System, SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn, all launching from Florida's Space Coast.

New Glenn flies first, carrying Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander into low Earth orbit. The SLS then launches the Orion capsule with NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. Parsons said SLS will place Orion in an orbit ranging from 18 to 1,122 miles in altitude. The capsule then moves to about 345 miles. He said the higher orbit is for thermal stability because the environment in low Earth orbit is harsher than the deep space environment Orion was built for.

The crew spends two days checking Orion systems. On Flight Day 3, at 273 miles, Orion meets Blue Moon. The two vehicles stay docked for two days while the crew enters the lander and evaluates its environmental controls and life support. The teams also confirm the lander can hold atmospheric pressure, test emergency scenarios and dual-vehicle control, and run Mission Control through its paces.

Starship launches around Flight Day 6 with a purpose-built docking adapter on its nose. The 171-foot upper stage meets Orion on Flight Day 8 at about 237 miles. That encounter lasts roughly two hours. The crew does not enter Starship. Parsons said the test yields data on docking forces and how the two vehicles push against each other.

After Orion undocks from Starship, the mission runs another six to nine days before a parachute-aided ocean splashdown. The nominal length is 14 days and could reach 17. The crew will evaluate survival suits, a task not completed during the 10-day Artemis II lunar flyby in April, along with health assessments, experiments and technology demonstrations.

The results feed into Artemis IV, planned to land astronauts near the moon's south pole in 2028. That would be the first crewed lunar touchdown since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA has not chosen which lander will fly it. Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is keeping both options open, adding, "We have no intention of surrendering a viable path to the surface before the data and schedule compels us to do so." Parsons said both providers are planning lunar landing missions in 2028. With Blue Origin, Orion meets the lander in lunar orbit. With SpaceX, Starship would likely dock with the capsule in Earth orbit and propel it toward the moon.

The launch date is not set. NASA targets summer of next year, but Isaacman told employees in an internal memo last month that the mission was about 90 days behind schedule. Parsons cited the lunar lander supply chain as one of the biggest challenges. Both he and Isaacman said they expect to work through the issues. "We're moving with real speed and purpose right now," Isaacman said.

NASA's Artemis III crew would evaluate survival suits, a task not completed during the 10-day Artemis II lunar flyby in April.