NASA Adds Details on the Execution of the Artemis III Mission in 2027
NASA Adds Details on the Execution of the Artemis III Mission in 2027
Yesterday, we reported on the progress in assembling NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion capsule for the Artemis III mission. The launch is currently planned for between mid and late 2027, and on board will be Randolph Bresnik (commander), Luca Parmitano (pilot), Andre Douglas (mission specialist), and Frank Rubio (mission specialist). The mission will take place in low Earth orbit to reduce the risks for the crew, who will test two prototypes of lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Clarifications on the Artemis III Mission
In a new article published by the U.S. space agency, some confirmations of previously stated information and additional clarifications on how the Artemis III mission will unfold can be found. According to the report, the first launch will be of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket with the prototype of the lunar lander Blue Moon MK2 from pad LC-36A, which is currently undergoing restoration. After the prototype is launched, it can remain in space for up to 30 days, thus providing the opportunity to manage various launch windows for the Space Launch System and the Orion capsule.
While not being a definitive version of Blue Moon MK2 (for example, it will not have a definitive main engine), the mission control center and the crew will be able to test all the main software and avionics control systems, closely simulating the experience that astronauts will face during missions to the Moon. Inside the lunar lander, up to two crew members (including Luca Parmitano) will enter wearing Orion IVA suits. Special attention will be given to the environmental control and life support system (ECLSS). As an additional safety measure, there will also be a mannequin equipped with sensors and a space suit (albeit not complete) similar to Moonikin, which flew during the Artemis I mission.
After the launch of Blue Moon MK2, NASA's SLS and the Orion capsule will launch (from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center), which will need to dock with the lunar lander in Earth orbit. Blue Origin conducted tests related to the hardware for the docking between the capsule and the lunar lander earlier this year but has not conducted any tests or other spacecraft in a real environment, unlike SpaceX, which can rely on the experience of Dragon Cargo and Crew Dragon. The Blue Moon MK2 lander will connect to the spacecraft on the side.
As for SpaceX, the launch of the Starship HLS prototype (a version very similar to the Starship V3 currently in development) is expected to be last. The launch will occur once operations aboard Blue Origin's lander are completed and the two units have separated. In this case, the spacecraft will dock with Starship HLS at the front, but there will be no way for astronauts to enter the pressurized area. This decision is due to the fact that the ECLSS system of Starship HLS will be similar to that of Crew Dragon, of which there is already a wealth of data from commercial missions to the ISS and private missions in orbit.
Docking tests between Starship HLS and Orion have been ongoing since 2023. For both lunar landers, NASA has confirmed that the Orion capsule will be the pursuer, while the landers will be the targets (simulating what will happen from Artemis IV onwards). According to the information, when Orion is docked with Blue Moon MK2, the software of the former will control the two systems, while in the case of Starship HLS, it will be the latter that commands Orion.
Jeremy Parsons (Artemis program manager) stated, "Artemis III will be a choreographed dance with a challenging launch sequence across multiple pads and equally challenging operations for our ground and flight crews, making it one of the most complex and ambitious missions NASA has ever undertaken. The demonstration mission will pave the way before our next leap as a giant. NASA’s experience in engineering and system integration, as well as launch operations and low Earth orbit mission management, will enable us to execute the mission."