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Artemis 3

All articles tagged with #artemis 3

Europe Stakes Its Moon Bid as Parmitano Becomes Artemis 3 Pilot
space25 days ago

Europe Stakes Its Moon Bid as Parmitano Becomes Artemis 3 Pilot

NASA named Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano as Artemis 3's pilot—the first European assigned to an Artemis crew—while ESA framed the seat as leverage to secure a European on the Moon rather than a symbolic orbit, as Gateway’s fate shifts Europe’s lunar plan; Artemis 3 will test docking with prototype landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX and will not land, with Europe offering the European Service Module plus potential surface assets like Argonaut and Moonlight in a bid to secure a future boots-on-the-Moon mission ahead of a Paris ministerial decision.

Artemis lander plan refresh speeds Starship-Orion docking and Blue Moon redesign
space27 days ago

Artemis lander plan refresh speeds Starship-Orion docking and Blue Moon redesign

NASA outlined accelerated Artemis lander concepts: SpaceX will dock Starship with Orion in Earth orbit and use Starship for the translunar injection and lunar landing, reducing propellant needs and removing NRHO loiter, while Blue Origin is dropping its transporter in favor of Mark 1-derived transfer stages to speed the Blue Moon, aiming for Artemis 3 readiness by 2027 and an Artemis 4 crewed landing around 2028, with manufacturing underway despite a May explosion at the New Glenn test site.

Artemis 3 crew gets their official roster in a calendar-surprise reveal
space28 days ago

Artemis 3 crew gets their official roster in a calendar-surprise reveal

NASA revealed the Artemis 3 crew at a Johnson Space Center meeting that felt like a calendar surprise: commander Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano as pilot, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as mission specialists, with Bob Hines designated as backup. The five will fly aboard the Orion capsule on the Space Launch System for a ~2-week mission in high Earth orbit, docking with two lunar lander designs (SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon) to test compatibility ahead of future lunar landings. Artemis 3 follows Artemis 2 and aims for a late-2027 liftoff, with training timelines shortened and the backup role intended to keep the crew ready should changes arise or set up for Artemis 4.

science1 month ago

NASA Defends Artemis 3 Crew Selection Amid Diversity Debate

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended the all-male Artemis 3 crew, saying the four astronauts—Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas—were chosen for their experience and availability to conduct a low-Earth-orbit test of rendezvous and docking with lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The piece notes ongoing gender-diversity efforts in the corps, cites past female astronauts, and points to many women in training who may fly future Artemis missions.

Artemis 3 crew sparks diversity debate as NASA defends all-male lineup
space1 month ago

Artemis 3 crew sparks diversity debate as NASA defends all-male lineup

NASA defended Artemis 3’s four-principal crew as being selected for mission qualifications, not gender, with the lineup—Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio—being all male and Bob Hines as backup. The piece notes the broader NASA astronaut pool is about 40% women and that diversity is pursued in forms beyond gender, including international partnerships and the pipeline of female astronauts, while Artemis 3 focuses on testing lunar landers for future surface missions with SpaceX and Blue Origin involvement.

Artemis 3 Crew Shortlist: NASA's Moon Mission Picks
space-exploration1 month ago

Artemis 3 Crew Shortlist: NASA's Moon Mission Picks

Space.com breaks down likely Artemis 3 crew contenders ahead of NASA's June 9 announcement, highlighting frontrunners such as Raja Chari, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli and Kayla Barron, with others like Andre Douglas and Stephanie Wilson in contention; Artemis 3 will operate in low Earth orbit to practice rendezvous with lunar landers and test new EVA capabilities, with possible involvement from ESA or CSA depending on lander readiness and ISS scheduling.

Blue Origin eyes year-end return for New Glenn after pad damage
space1 month ago

Blue Origin eyes year-end return for New Glenn after pad damage

Blue Origin says damage to Launch Complex 36 from the May 28 New Glenn test explosion isn’t as severe as feared and the vehicle could fly again by year’s end, with tanks for cryogens and the main tower largely intact and a new vertical-conop planned to avoid needing a transporter-erector. Repairs and investigations could wrap in about seven months. NASA timelines, including Artemis 3, remain under review as lunar missions and related programs proceed.

Blue Origin's Fireball Delays NASA's Moon Mission Timeline
space1 month ago

Blue Origin's Fireball Delays NASA's Moon Mission Timeline

Blue Origin’s New Glenn exploded during a May 28 static-fire test at Cape Canaveral, destroying LC-36 and grounding the heavy-lift rocket, prompting NASA to reassess Artemis timelines since the Blue Moon lunar lander relies on New Glenn; Artemis 3’s first lunar landing could slip from late 2027 and Artemis 4 to late 2028, while SpaceX’s Starship may gain leverage in the lunar-lander race—the speed of LC-36 repairs and Blue Origin’s recovery will determine how quickly Moon plans can stay on track.

Artemis 3 to Test Docking With Lunar Landers, Without ICPS
space1 month ago

Artemis 3 to Test Docking With Lunar Landers, Without ICPS

NASA's Artemis 3 plan, targeting late 2027, centers on docking Orion with SpaceX's Starship HLS and Blue Origin's MK2 landers while the SLS launches with a spacer instead of the ICPS since the mission stays in low Earth orbit; the crew may stay aboard Orion longer than Artemis 2 to evaluate life-support and docking, with plans ranging from docking with both landers to testing only one, and even the possibility of entering a lander test article if life-support isn’t ready. Lander readiness and Starship V3 milestones will shape the final profile for Artemis 3 and Artemis 4.

Artemis 3 to test complex Earth-orbit docking with private lunar landers
space-exploration1 month ago

Artemis 3 to test complex Earth-orbit docking with private lunar landers

NASA says Artemis 3 will be one of its most complex missions, testing rendezvous and docking in Earth orbit between the Orion crew capsule and private lunar landers (SpaceX’s Starship and/or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon) as a stepping stone to Artemis 4’s moon landing; the crew will spend more time in Orion, a spacer will mimic the upper stage to save cost, and lander tests and cubesats could be part of the run — Artemis 3 is now planned for late 2027.

Artemis 3 to fly SLS with spacer upper stage replacing ICPS
space1 month ago

Artemis 3 to fly SLS with spacer upper stage replacing ICPS

NASA will launch Artemis 3 on the Space Launch System with an inert spacer substituting for the ICPS upper stage. The spacer, built at Marshall Space Flight Center, will match ICPS dimensions and interfaces so Orion’s flight hardware and missions can proceed. With ICPS no longer in production, Artemis 4 will carry the ICPS, while Centaur will be used on later SLS launches; Artemis 3 will rely on Orion’s own propulsion to circularize into a ~463-km orbit as NASA defines a three‑launch campaign to test rendezvous with two landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. Exact crew, suit testing, and dates remain under development, with a rough target in 2027–2028.

Artemis III advances toward the Moon as SLS core stands vertical for 2027 launch
space-exploration2 months ago

Artemis III advances toward the Moon as SLS core stands vertical for 2027 launch

NASA’s Artemis 3 core stage is standing vertical inside the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building, awaiting engine and upper-stage integration for a late‑2027 launch. The mission will stay in Earth orbit to test Orion and one or both lunar landers (Starship and/or Blue Moon) with crewed lunar touchdowns potentially coming on Artemis 4 in 2028 if the landers are ready.

Endurance nears lunar readiness as Blue Origin advances moon lander tests
space-exploration2 months ago

Endurance nears lunar readiness as Blue Origin advances moon lander tests

Blue Origin’s uncrewed lunar lander Endurance MK1 is moving toward a lunar mission with a busy test campaign across NASA centers and the company’s Florida facilities, including vacuum chamber testing at Johnson Space Center and radio-frequency compatibility checks at Lunar Plant 1, all in support of Artemis 3 (targeted for late 2027) which could use Blue Moon or SpaceX’s Starship for the landing; meanwhile Blue Origin’s New Glenn remains grounded while FAA investigates a separate second-stage issue.

Artemis 3's Moon Landing: SpaceX Starship vs Blue Origin's Moon Lander — Will Either Be Ready by 2028?
space2 months ago

Artemis 3's Moon Landing: SpaceX Starship vs Blue Origin's Moon Lander — Will Either Be Ready by 2028?

NASA’s revised Artemis 3 plan calls for a late-2027 Earth-orbit rendezvous with a lunar landing targeted for 2028, contingent on SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon being flight-ready. Both landers are making progress but face key milestones: Starship must prove orbital refueling and long‑duration life support, while Blue Moon is progressing with Mk1 cargo tests and Mk2 crewed life-support development. Blue Origin’s New Glenn grounding adds risk, and NASA has told lawmakers it expects one vendor to be ready for the late-2027 docking test, with the landing potentially determining Artemis 4’s schedule.

Artemis 3 timeline muddied as NASA revises plan and slips loom
space2 months ago

Artemis 3 timeline muddied as NASA revises plan and slips loom

NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, originally intended as a crewed lunar landing, has been redefined as a low-Earth orbit test and key details like its orbit profile, duration, crew, and test scope remain unsettled. Core SLS work progresses at Kennedy Space Center, while capabilities from SpaceX and Blue Origin’s lunar landers are being aligned for a potential rendezvous in orbit. If Artemis 3 slips into late 2027, NASA’s plan to launch Artemis 4 in early 2028 and Artemis 5 in late 2028 could be imperiled, potentially delaying the two lunar landings planned for 2028.