The Artemis Program: A New Era of Lunar Exploration
The four astronauts who embarked on a historic journey to the moon and back in April are now preparing for a meeting with a president who has hailed them as “modern-day pioneers.” The term “pioneer” carries significant weight, casting the crew of NASA’s landmark Artemis II mission as trailblazers in the cosmos. Pioneers, by definition, lay the groundwork for future explorers to follow in their footsteps.
In the years ahead, numerous astronauts will use data from the Artemis II mission to not only return near the moon but also land on it for the first time in over 50 years. Even more ambitious is the possibility of sending the first humans to Mars in the 2030s.
What’s Next Under NASA’s Artemis Campaign?
As President Donald Trump prepares to host NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on April 29 at the White House, discussions about the Artemis program are expected to be a central topic.
Ahead of that upcoming meeting, here’s a timeline of the Artemis moon missions planned under NASA’s revamped strategy:
2026–2027: Uncrewed Robotic Lunar Landings
Since 2024, NASA and its commercial partners have landed three robotic vehicles on the moon, with varying degrees of success. For 2026, at least four more uncrewed lunar landing missions are in the works.
None of these missions have a firm launch date yet, but the first—Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 mission—appears to be on track for liftoff in July, according to NASA. Three more landers could follow this year, including Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark-1, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost, and Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C.
In 2027, NASA plans to significantly increase the number of robotic landers carrying cargo and science instruments, with up to 30 more uncrewed landings. These missions, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, will help pave the way for a human landing.
2027: Artemis III Test of Lunar Landers
NASA’s next mission under the Artemis program is slated for 2027. Preparations for Artemis III are already underway, with the core stage of NASA’s 322-foot Space Launch System rocket arriving in Florida for assembly.
The Artemis III mission will send a new crew of astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft to Earth orbit. There, they will dock with at least one of the commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA will also use the mission to test space suits, known as extravehicular activity suits, being developed by Axiom Space for astronauts on the lunar surface.
2028: Artemis IV Moon Landing
In 2028, humans could step foot on the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The selected lander for Artemis IV would rendezvous with NASA astronauts aboard an Orion vehicle in lunar orbit and then ferry them to the surface.
After conducting a moon walk and a series of scientific experiments, the lander would transport them back to Orion, which would make the journey back to Earth. NASA previously identified nine possible landing sites near the moon’s largely unexplored south pole for human surface operations.
These locations are further south than any of the Apollo astronauts landed or ventured. The area is thought to contain water ice, a valuable resource that could be extracted for drinking, breathing, and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.
2028 and Into the 2030s: Artemis V, Moon Base, and onto Mars
This time, those next astronauts who step foot on the moon’s surface won’t simply plant the stars and stripes before heading back to Earth. The ultimate goal is for NASA to build a $20 billion moon base where astronauts could live and work long-term.
After the Artemis V mission, targeted for 2028, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has said the agency wants to launch a human lunar landing mission up to twice a year—if not more often. Once that cadence is established and the infrastructure for a sustainable settlement is in place, NASA will set its sights on humanity’s next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars, possibly in the 2030s.
