NASA Artemis Next Mission: Moon Landing and Everything You Need to Know

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - After the historical success of the Artemis II mission in April 2026, NASA is reshaping its ambitious plans for lunar exploration.

Significant changes have been made to the schedule and objectives of the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions, marking an evolution of the U.S. space agency's strategy for achieving a sustained human presence in space.

Originally, the Artemis III mission was scheduled to be the first human landing on the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

However, in late February 2026, NASA announced a substantial shift in focus, which made Artemis IV as the crucial mission that will return humans to the lunar surface as early as 2028.

The Artemis III mission, now targeted for launch in mid-2027, will no longer involve a human landing on the Moon.

Instead, it will focus on a series of critical tests in low Earth orbit.

The primary objective is to demonstrate and validate the rendezvous and docking capabilities of the Orion spacecraft with a commercial Human Landing System (HLS).

NASA plans to test these capabilities with one or both HLS systems from SpaceX (Starship HLS) and Blue Origin (Blue Moon).

The mission may also include evaluation of the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, ensuring equipment readiness for astronauts.

The Artemis III mission is broadly comparable to the Apollo 9 mission, which also focused on in-orbit system testing before the Moon landing.

The Artemis III crew will launch aboard an Orion spacecraft powered by a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA will announce specific details regarding the Artemis III mission design and crew closer to launch in 2027.

Artemis IV mission, targeted for launch in early 2028, will be the first human lunar landing under the Artemis program since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Four astronauts will travel to lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft.

Two crew members will descend to the lunar surface, near the South Pole.

The lunar South Pole becomes focus for its potential presence of water ice.

Furthermore, the mission will deliver the European Space Agency's (ESA) first module for the Gateway space station, the I-Hab module, which will be a critical component of lunar infrastructure.

Artemis IV will use a larger and more powerful version of the SLS rocket, the Block 1B, to carry heavier and more complex payloads.

The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts to lunar orbit, where they will dock with a lander in preparation for the journey to the lunar surface.

Upon arrival, the astronauts will transfer to the lander for descent to the lunar surface, perform at least two extravehicular activities (EVA) or spacewalks, and then return to lunar orbit to rendezvous with Orion.

The Artemis program doesn't stop with Artemis IV.

The Artemis V mission, planned for late 2028, will be the second human landing on the Moon and is expected to mark the beginning of the development of a lunar base.

NASA has ambitious plans to conduct annual lunar landings after Artemis IV, with the goal of increasing the frequency to once every six months.

The long-term goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon, including the construction of a permanent, habitable lunar base.

This "Moon to Mars" plan underscores NASA's commitment to expanding the reach of human exploration deeper into the solar system.