NASA Unveils Revised Blueprint for Moon Landing Missions, Sets 2028 Target

NASA has finalized its architecture for returning astronauts to the Moon.

On Friday, the agency held a press conference detailing its updated plans for the Artemis Program, outlining how it intends to land crew on the lunar surface as soon as 2028. While some elements have been previously discussed, this marked the first time NASA officially laid out the revised architecture and confirmed substantial changes to its mission design.

The updated plans include significant modifications for the program's two commercial partners. For SpaceX's Starship vehicle, the Orion spacecraft will now dock with the lander in high-Earth orbit before making the journey to the Moon. For Blue Origin, the mission will involve four launches of its New Glenn rocket, with no requirement for in-space refueling. NASA's plan for Blue Origin also allows for a potential rendezvous between its Blue Moon lander and Orion in low-lunar orbit.

Regarding the mission schedule, NASA officials stated they are targeting a launch for Artemis III by summer 2027. This mission is planned as a demonstration flight involving docking with both the Blue Moon and Starship landers near Earth. The agency continues to track toward a 2028 launch for Artemis IV, which would include an actual landing on the lunar surface. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed confidence in the agency's readiness, stating, “This is an achievable path we are on right now... We have the mandate, we have the resources, and the support from our stakeholders to be able to execute.”

The modification to SpaceX's mission profile stems from a key request the company made to NASA in early 2026. SpaceX had sought to remove a requirement to dock with Orion in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon, a maneuver that required additional energy and presented other difficulties. This problem was resolved after NASA canceled the Lunar Gateway earlier this year.