Artemis III

<p>Artemis III is planned to be the first crewed <a href="/facts/Moon_landing/RMXHoEpg">Moon landing</a> mission of the <a href="/facts/Artemis_program/QHBrKFI8">Artemis program</a> and the first crewed flight of the <a href="/facts/Starship_HLS/1bjx1dx2">Starship HLS</a> lander. Artemis III is planned to be the second crewed Artemis mission and the first crewed lunar landing since <a href="/facts/Apollo_17/5szGEz7n">Apollo 17</a> in December 1972. As of December 2024<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Artemis_III&action=edit">[update]</a>, NASA officially expects Artemis III to launch no earlier than mid-2027 due to <a href="/facts/Heat_shield/YvRhkzAz">heat shield</a> issues on <a href="/facts/Orion_(spacecraft)/nh8VQRpD">Orion</a> and valve problems in the spacecraft's life support system.
</p><p>In August 2023, due to delays in the development of <a href="/facts/SpaceX_Starship/zkm1P9kA">Starship</a>, NASA officials expressed an openness to flying Artemis III without a crewed landing. In this case, the mission may become a crewed visit to the <a href="/facts/Lunar_Gateway/XExxjawm">Lunar Gateway</a>. In April 2024, it was reported that alternative mission options being internally evaluated by NASA include a test of docking between Orion and Starship HLS in low Earth orbit.
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Artemis III open-in-new

Artemis III