After Artemis II’s April 10 return to Earth, NASA is already looking ahead to Artemis III—but the next step won’t be a moon landing. Artemis III is set for 2027, with crew names announced on June 9, 2026, and a mission focused on docking and commercial lander
When Artemis II’s crew came home on April 10, 2026, the celebration wasn’t just about a successful lunar flyby. It was also a countdown to the next, harder question: how do you turn moon experience into moon stays?
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman marked the moment with a blunt promise. “We are back in the business of sending astronauts back to the moon. This is just the beginning.”
NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriy put the stakes in longer view. pointing to the time gap since humanity left the moon. “Fifty-three years ago, humanity left the moon,” he said. “This time we return to stay. Let us finish what they started. Let us focus on what was left undone. Let us not go to plant flags and leave but to stay with firmness in our purpose.”.
For fans wondering whether Artemis III will actually go to the moon, the answer is more careful than the excitement. Artemis III is built for proving the systems that make landings possible—not for touching down on the lunar surface.
Artemis III is projected to launch in 2027, but NASA has not set an exact date.
On June 9, 2026, NASA announced the Artemis III crew. Randy Bresnik, a NASA astronaut, is listed as commander. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano is the pilot. Andre Douglas, a NASA astronaut, will serve as mission specialist. Frank Rubio, also a NASA astronaut, is another mission specialist.
Even with Artemis II’s success, Artemis III won’t land on the moon.
According to NASA. the mission will “launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.” The crew will “ride to Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft” as part of that testing.
NASA also says the mission will “test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively,” using Artemis III’s orbital test setup.
So while Artemis III won’t be a lunar touchdown, it is still a direct bridge toward the next landing plan—and Artemis IV is the mission NASA expects to bring astronauts to the moon sometime in 2028, depending on whether Artemis III succeeds.
Artemis III Artemis II NASA Orion SLS lunar mission crew announced June 9 2026 Randy Bresnik Luca Parmitano Andre Douglas Frank Rubio SpaceX lander Blue Origin lander Artemis IV 2028 landing
So Artemis III is basically not even going to the moon? What a waste of a name lol.
They keep saying “return to the moon” but it won’t land. Sounds like they’re just doing practice runs and calling it progress. Meanwhile it’s 2026 and we still can’t just land. smh.
Wait, Artemis III won’t land but it tests docking, right? So like… are they docking with the moon or with a separate ship? I feel like I read somewhere it was supposed to touch down first so now I’m confused. 2027 also sounds forever.
Nasa always pushes it back. First it’s a moon landing, then it’s “orbital testing,” then it’s “depending on success” which means not anytime soon. Also if it’s testing SpaceX and Blue Origin landers then why not just pick one and stop the other? Idk, I just don’t trust it.