What’s next for NASA? Artemis III set for 2027 as NASA prepares for human landing

Following the successful return of Artemis II, NASA has outlined its next steps, with the Artemis III mission now targeted for 2027.

According to NASA, Artemis III will aim to land astronauts on the Moon, marking the first human lunar landing since the Apollo era.

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Preparations are already under way, including work on a new core stage for the Space Launch System rocket.

The mission will send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft into Earth orbit, where they will dock with commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

NASA will also test new space suits designed for use on the lunar surface.

In the meantime, robotic missions will continue to build momentum. Since 2024, three uncrewed vehicles have landed on the Moon, with mixed results.

At least four more missions are planned for 2026, including landers from Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines.

NASA expects to scale up operations further in 2027, with up to 30 additional uncrewed landings under its Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme.