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Why NASA's Artemis III may skip Moon landing
14 May 2026

NASA is reportedly considering a major change in its Artemis III mission, which is scheduled for 2027.

Instead of a direct Moon landing, the agency may focus on spacecraft system testing in Earth orbit.

The shift would give commercial Moon hardware more time to develop as NASA heavily relies on private companies for future lunar missions under the Artemis program.

Lunar landing potentially pushed to Artemis IV in 2028
Mission focus

The revised plan for Artemis III would make it a major technology testing mission, with the actual lunar landing potentially pushed to Artemis IV in 2028.

Despite not landing on the Moon, this mission would still carry out critical experiments and hardware demonstrations.

NASA plans to test upgraded long-duration life support systems for astronauts, a strengthened Orion spacecraft heat shield, and a new non-propulsive spacer structure replacing the older Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS).

Preparations for Artemis III are already underway
Hardware development

Key mission hardware for Artemis III is already making strides in preparation stages. This includes the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the service module of the Orion spacecraft.

These components are critical to NASA's plans for future lunar exploration as part of its Artemis program.

Meeting commercial landers in low Earth orbit
Lander testing

Once in orbit, the Artemis III crew may meet experimental Moon landers built by private companies. These include SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander.

The astronauts may enter and inspect test versions of these spacecrafts, giving NASA a chance to study how these future Moon transport systems perform in orbit before attempting a real lunar landing.