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.
