Nasa to launch four astronauts on Artemis 3 mission. They will not go to the Moon

Nasa's Artemis 3 will send four astronauts into Earth orbit to test docking with two commercial Moon landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In Short

• Artemis 3 will test Moon lander docking in Earth orbit.
• Nasa will replace the upper stage with a dummy spacer.
• An upgraded heat shield will be tested on Orion's return.

Nasa is preparing for one of its most complex missions yet, and this one will not even touch the Moon.

Artemis 3, now rescheduled as an Earth-orbit test flight planned for 2027, will see four astronauts launch aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System, or SLS, the most powerful rocket Nasa has ever built.

But instead of heading to the Moon's South Pole as originally planned, the crew will stay close to home, testing technology that could determine whether humans ever walk on the lunar surface at all.

WHY IS NASA GOING TO EARTH ORBIT?

After Nasa announced in February 2026 that an additional Artemis mission would be inserted ahead of a crewed Moon landing, engineers began redesigning Artemis 3 to serve as a crucial rehearsal.

Think of it as a dress rehearsal before opening night.

One of the most significant changes involves the rocket itself.

Instead of flying with the usual upper stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, which gives the vehicle an extra push after launch, Nasa will attach a spacer.

This is a dummy structure that mimics the size and weight of the upper stage but has no engines.

The Orion spacecraft's own service module, built by the European Space Agency, will then fire its engines to settle into a circular low Earth orbit, around 400 kilometres above the planet.

WHAT WILL THE ASTRONAUTS ACTUALLY DO?

Once in orbit, the crew will attempt something never done before in the Artemis programme: dock Orion with two separate commercial lunar landers, one from Blue Origin called Blue Moon Mark 2 and one from SpaceX called Starship human landing system pathfinder.

Docking means physically connecting two spacecraft in orbit, an extremely delicate manoeuvre.

Astronauts may even enter at least one of the lander test modules.

The crew will also spend more time aboard Orion than during Artemis II, the crewed lunar flyby completed in April, stress-testing life support systems for longer durations.

WHAT IS THE HEAT SHIELD TEST ABOUT?

On return to Earth, Orion will test an upgraded heat shield, the protective shell that prevents a spacecraft from burning up during re-entry into the atmosphere.

The upgraded version is designed to allow more flexible reentry angles, which is critical for future missions returning from the Moon or even Mars.

All of this feeds directly into Artemis IV, where Nasa finally plans to land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon's South Pole, and, eventually, begin building a permanent Moon base.

- Ends