NASA's Artemis III and IV: Timeline for Returning Humans to the Moon
NASA plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030 through the Artemis program. Artemis III will test lunar lander integration, while Artemis IV aims for the first crewed landing since Apollo in 1972.
NASA has not landed astronauts on the moon since 1972, but two upcoming missions in the Artemis program could change that before the end of the decade. Following the successful Artemis II mission, which sent four astronauts around the moon for the first time since the Apollo era, NASA is moving forward with ambitious plans to return humans to the lunar surface.
The Artemis II launch on April 1, 2026, was a historic moment, with passengers and crew aboard a commercial flight witnessing the spectacular liftoff of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft. This mission marked a significant milestone in human spaceflight, bringing astronauts closer to the moon than any crew has traveled in over fifty years.
Artemis III will serve as a critical dress rehearsal for lunar landing operations. Unlike Artemis II, which focused on circumlunar flight, Artemis III will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon. This mission profile is comparable to Apollo 9, which launched on March 3, 1969, and demonstrated the equipment capabilities that would carry humans to the moon's surface later that year. Artemis III will specifically test integration with commercial lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, ensuring the equipment works seamlessly together.
Artemis IV is scheduled to be the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since the Apollo era, with NASA eyeing a 2028 launch, though delays remain possible. During this mission, astronauts will travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend approximately a week near the South Pole of the Moon conducting new science before returning to lunar orbit to rejoin their crewmates for the journey back to Earth.
NASA has identified nine candidate landing sites near the moon's South Pole, chosen for their diverse geological characteristics and the possibility of water in the form of ice. These locations offer unique scientific opportunities for lunar exploration. The Artemis IV mission will also lay the groundwork for a future lunar base to establish sustained human presence on the moon, marking the beginning of a new era of lunar exploration and scientific discovery.
