Meet the astronauts of Artemis III – by Frederic Eger, Interplanetary.tv – Photo credit: AI generated – Video credit: NASA – Meet the astronauts of Artemis III tomorrow 9 Jun 2026 at 18:00 (NY Time)(worldtimebuddy.com): Watch here:  https://www.youtube.com/live/0fLROeRhqZM NASA has announced a major update on Artemis III, revealing that the mission has been redesigned as a crewed low Earth orbit (LEO) test flight rather than an immediate lunar landing. Targeted for late 2027, this revamped mission will serve as a critical operational risk-mitigation step—similar to Apollo 9—before astronauts attempt to land on the Moon’s South Pole during Artemis IV in 2028.
During the mission, four crew members will lift off aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket inside the Orion spacecraft. Once in low Earth orbit, the crew will test their ability to meet and dock Orion with commercial human landers, operations essential for delivering astronauts to the lunar surface. The mission will actively integrate hardware from NASA’s two Human Landing System providers simultaneously: SpaceX’s Starship HLS Pathfinder and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 Pathfinder, which will be launched separately and await Orion in orbit.  

Chronology

Artemis III Chronology (Redesigned LEO Test Mission for Late 2027)

Before the Mission

February 2026: NASA announces Artemis III is redesigned from a lunar landing mission to a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) rendezvous and docking test; Artemis IV becomes the first lunar landing mission in 2028

2025–2026: NASA develops a non-propulsive spacer to replace the ICPS upper stage, with same dimensions as the original upper stage

2026: Artemis III SLS core stage is assembled in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center

2024–2026: Orion service module undergoes acoustic testing; operations facility preparation at Kennedy Space Center

2026: SpaceX Starship HLS and Blue Origin Blue Moon Mk2 pathfinders are prepared for LEO rendezvous operations

2025–2026: Astronaut selection and training process begins for mission operations

2026: AxEMU spacesuits by Axiom Space undergo first microgravity testing for future lunar surface walks

Late 2026 to Early 2027: Final mission preparations, vehicle integration, and countdown preparations at Kennedy Space Center

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The Mission itself (Late 2027, approximately 3–4 weeks duration)

Step 1: Launch of SLS rocket from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center carrying 4 astronauts in the Orion spacecraft

Step 2: Mission control performs final system checks in low-Earth orbit

Step 3: Orion’s European Service Module propels the spacecraft to a circular LEO orbit

Step 4: Orion approaches SpaceX Starship HLS and/or Blue Origin Blue Moon pathfinder spacecraft in LEO

Step 5: First-ever demonstration of Orion docking system performance with commercial lunar landers

Step 6: Crew spends extended time aboard Orion (longer than Artemis II’s 10 days) to test life support systems

Step 7: Astronauts may enter at least one lander test article to evaluate interface systems

Step 8: Verification of life support, communications, propulsion, and navigation systems across all docked vehicles

Step 9: Testing of upgraded heat shield for more flexible reentry profiles

Step 10: Orion undocks from the commercial landers

Step 11: European Service Module fires main engine for return trajectory (no gravity assist used since this is LEO)

Step 12: Crew Module separates from Service Module and reenters Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 40,000 km/h

Step 13: Eleven parachutes deploy for final descent

Step 14: Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean

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After The Mission

Late 2027: Mission data analysis begins, including docking performance, life support data, and systems verification results

Late 2027 to 2028: Analysis informs lander rendezvous and habitation concepts for future lunar surface missions

2028: Artemis IV mission launches as the first crewed lunar landing at the Moon’s South Pole with actual surface operations

2028: AxEMU spacesuits tested during Artemis III are used for lunar surface walks on Artemis IV

2028 and beyond: Foundation built for enduring human presence on the lunar surface, including future Moon base construction

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Key Mission Facts

Launch Date: Late 2027 (mid-2027 target)

Mission Type: Low Earth Orbit rendezvous and docking test (not a lunar landing)

Crew Size: 4 astronauts

Duration: Approximately 3–4 weeks

Landing Site: Pacific Ocean splashdown

Next Lunar Landing: Artemis IV in 2028 at the Moon’s South Pole

 The four-person Artemis III crew will execute a complex rendezvous and docking sequence, demonstrating Orion’s docking system with crew aboard for the first time. Astronauts may even enter at least one of the lander test articles to assess intra-vehicular interfaces and habitation concepts, rehearsing procedures their successors will rely on for the actual lunar landing. NASA will announce the four crew members on June 9, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT during a live broadcast event from Johnson Space Center in Houston. This mission sets the stage for surface operations by validating critical rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial landing systems. While Artemis III won’t land on the Moon, what it accomplishes is arguably just as important: it’s exactly the kind of mission that makes the difference between a successful Moon landing and disaster. The revamped flight profile creates a high-fidelity test environment to evaluate how Orion, its crew, and ground teams interact with commercial landers before attempting the historic South Pole landing.

— Frederic Eger

About the Author

Frederic Eger (1975), trailblazing Israeli-Argentine-French journalist, author, and filmmaker, drives media innovation since 1998. He dives deep into science, technology, space, and geopolitics. With a BA in History from the Sorbonne and BA equivalent (professional program certificate) in Film & TV Production from UCLA, Frederic Eger belongs to the next-generation Zionist thinkers, unveiling books such as Albert Einstein: The Father of Federal Zionism (2025)(http://amazon.com/dp/9934384531), One State Solution (2026) (https://amazon.com/dp/9934936909), and Globalize Zionism (2027) in the book series #ZionismNextThinkers.