NASA Launches Three Rockets in 14-Day Test to Qualify Moon Landers

NASA will fire three heavy lift rockets in a single campaign to test two competing moon landers in Earth orbit. The agency detailed this complex sequence on Oct. 23 during a two-hour press conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Program manager Jeremy Parsons described the operation as likely the most complicated launch campaign ever undertaken. The mission, designated Artemis III, serves as a critical validation step before astronauts attempt a lunar surface landing.

The launch sequence begins with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. It will place the Blue Moon lander into low Earth orbit. NASA’s Space Launch System follows, carrying a four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft. The team consists of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. All three rockets will launch from Florida’s Space Coast.

Parsons explained that SLS will insert Orion into a highly elliptical orbit. The capsule’s altitude will range from 18 miles to 1,122 miles. Orion will then adjust its trajectory to a circular orbit at approximately 345 miles. This maneuver addresses thermal stability, as the spacecraft is built for deep space and faces a harsher thermal environment in low Earth orbit.

The crew will spend two days verifying Orion systems. On Flight Day 3, they will rendezvous with Blue Moon at an altitude of 273 miles. The spacecraft will remain docked for two days. During this period, the crew will enter the lander to test environmental controls and life support systems. Engineers will also verify atmospheric pressure, simulate emergency scenarios, and test dual-vehicle control procedures with Mission Control.

SpaceX’s Starship is scheduled to launch around Flight Day 6. It will carry a specially built docking adapter on its nose. The 171-foot upper stage will meet Orion on Flight Day 8 at an altitude of 237 miles. This encounter is shorter, lasting roughly two hours. The crew will not enter Starship but will collect data on docking forces and the mechanical interaction between the vehicles.

After undocking from Starship, Orion will continue for six to nine days. The mission concludes with a parachute-aided splashdown in the ocean. The nominal duration is 14 days, though the timeline could extend to 17 days. The crew will evaluate survival suits, a task not completed during the 10-day Artemis II flyby in April. They will also conduct health assessments and technology demonstrations.

The results of this test will inform the Artemis IV mission. NASA plans to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole in 2028. This would mark the first crewed lunar touchdown since Apollo 17 in 1972. The agency has not yet selected which lander will support that landing. Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that NASA is preserving options to give both partners the best chance at readiness. He added that the agency has no intention of surrendering a viable path to the surface before data and schedule compel it.

Parsons noted that both providers are planning lunar landing missions in 2028. The operational profiles differ. With Blue Origin, Orion will meet the lander in lunar orbit. With SpaceX, Starship will likely dock with the capsule in Earth orbit and propel it toward the moon. The launch date for Artemis III remains uncertain. NASA is targeting the summer of 2027. However, Isaacman told employees in a memo last month that the mission is about 90 days behind schedule. Parsons cited the lunar lander supply chain as a major challenge. Isaacman expressed confidence in resolving these issues, stating that the team is moving with real speed and purpose.