NASA has released a detailed plan to use three heavy rockets for the Artemis 3 mission scheduled for 2027. Instead of its original goal of a crewed Moon landing, it will verify key systems by docking two commercial lunar lander test vehicles in Earth orbit.

On Oct. 27, IT media outlet Engadget reported that NASA has drawn up a plan to launch test vehicles for lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX, and the crewed Orion spacecraft, on separate rockets. The overall mission will last about 14 days, with the aim of reducing risks for a crewed Moon landing in 2028.

In the first step, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket will place the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander test vehicle into an orbit about 439 km above Earth.

NASA will then launch Orion carrying four crew members on a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The crew includes NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik (랜디 브레스닉), Frank Rubio (프랭크 루비오) and Andre Douglas (안드레 더글러스), along with Luca Parmitano (루카 파르미타노) of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Orion will check its status in a circular orbit at an altitude of about 555 km before docking with Blue Moon. The crew will move inside the lander and spend about two days evaluating cabin pressure, life support systems, software and flight control systems.

Next, SpaceX will launch a Starship Version 3 test vehicle. Orion will dock with Starship to check communications, flight control and interoperability between the vehicles. The test will last up to two hours, and the crew will not move inside Starship.

After the two docking tests, Orion will conduct additional tasks for up to five days. During that time, it will check space suits for crew survival, docking sensors and the cabin environment before returning to the Pacific Ocean.

The launch schedule has not yet been finalised. NASA is aiming for a launch in the summer of 2027, but lander development and launch vehicle preparation remain variables. Blue Origin has been restoring its launch facilities after an explosion during a ground burn test of New Glenn in May.

NASA plans to press ahead with a crewed Moon landing for Artemis 4 in 2028 based on the technology and operational experience secured from this mission.