NASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development For 2028 Moon Missions

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NASA has revised the operating plans for Blue Origin’s and SpaceX’s crewed lunar landers as it works toward a 2028 Moon landing. The landers will meet Orion in Earth orbit or a partner-specific lunar orbit instead of using the previously planned near-rectilinear halo orbit; each company must first complete an uncrewed demonstration, and NASA has not chosen which provider will fly first.

NASA has changed the planned operating profiles for Blue Origin’s and SpaceX’s human lunar landers, directing them to use different rendezvous and orbital approaches as the agency works toward crewed Moon missions in 2028. The revised plans replace a shared expectation that landers and Orion would meet in near-rectilinear halo orbit, and retain an uncrewed demonstration requirement for both providers before crewed flights.

Under the Artemis plan described by NASA, astronauts will launch from Kennedy Space Center aboard Orion and the Space Launch System. Orion will link up with a commercial lander, which will carry two astronauts to the lunar surface; two other crew members will remain aboard Orion. NASA says it has redefined Artemis III to demonstrate rendezvous and docking between test versions of both companies’ landers and Orion in low Earth orbit next year.

SpaceX plans to use multiple Starship launches to gather cryogenic propellant in low Earth orbit. Tanker Starships will fill a depot vehicle, which will then fuel the Starship Human Landing System. In the revised mission profile, the lander will meet Orion and its crew in Earth orbit, then make a burn to send the combined spacecraft toward low lunar orbit. NASA says it is working to modify Orion so Starship can push it toward the Moon. SpaceX is to demonstrate its propellant-aggregation approach on an uncrewed mission.

For its accelerated 2028 crewed landing plan, Blue Origin will defer propellant transfer and use three transfer stages to send its Blue Moon Mark 2 Alpha lander toward the Moon. The vehicles are planned to assemble in Earth orbit before heading to an elliptical polar lunar orbit, where the crew would transfer from Orion to the lander. Blue Origin also plans an uncrewed demonstration of the transfer-stage mission profile and says it will draw on earlier robotic Mark 1 missions.

How the New Orbits Affect Artemis

The changes alter where and how the landers connect with Orion, making mission readiness depend on two distinct architectures rather than one common lunar-orbit plan. NASA says the revised profiles are intended to accelerate development toward 2028. For SpaceX, the agency says using low lunar orbit can reduce the propellant Starship needs to aggregate and shorten the time astronauts may need to wait after leaving the lunar surface before meeting Orion. For Blue Origin, NASA says an elliptical polar orbit can reduce lander propellant needs, allow faster returns to Orion and make more use of Space Launch System performance.

The practical stakes are high because neither lander can carry astronauts under this plan until it has completed an uncrewed demonstration and passed NASA certification. The competing designs give NASA options, but the agency has not said which provider will fly first. Its decision will turn on lander readiness and safety certification, with another crewed landing opportunity planned after the first.

From Artemis III to Landing Missions

NASA’s update separates a near-term test of rendezvous and docking from the later goal of landing astronauts. The agency says Artemis III has been redefined to test lander prototypes and Orion in low Earth orbit next year, while both companies continue developing crew and cargo versions for upcoming Artemis missions. This test is not itself described as a lunar surface landing.

The earlier plan called for the landers and Orion to meet in near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. NASA now says each provider will use an orbit suited to its system: SpaceX’s lander is to meet Orion in Earth orbit before traveling toward low lunar orbit, while Blue Origin’s plan uses an elliptical polar lunar orbit. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is working alongside the companies and rebuilding internal capabilities as it pursues the 2028 goal.

For initial surface missions, NASA is targeting two lunar walks of about two hours each. Astronauts are expected to collect samples and test spacesuit capabilities. The supplied NASA report identifies Axiom Space as the spacesuit provider, but does not give a specific landing date or a full mission schedule.

Readiness and Flight Order Remain Open

NASA has not announced which company will make the first crewed landing in 2028. The agency says its choice will depend on lander readiness, following uncrewed demonstrations and NASA certification. The report does not provide firm dates for those demonstrations or set out detailed pass criteria.

The 2028 date remains a NASA target, and the source does not establish that either lander has completed the required flight tests. The revised mission concepts also depend on complex steps, including SpaceX’s in-space cryogenic propellant transfer and Blue Origin’s staged transfer architecture. NASA’s report describes the planned approaches, but does not provide results from those future demonstrations or quantify the schedule risk.

Uncrewed Tests Will Shape Selection

The next stated milestone is the low-Earth-orbit rendezvous and docking demonstration involving test landers and Orion, which NASA says is planned for next year. Each company must also carry out an uncrewed demonstration mission before its lander can be used for a crewed lunar mission. NASA says it will certify each system before astronauts fly.

After reviewing lander readiness, NASA will select which provider is first to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface and return them to lunar orbit in 2028. A second crewed landing opportunity is planned to follow, though the report gives no dates for either mission beyond the 2028 target.

Key Questions

What has NASA changed about the lunar lander plans?

NASA has moved away from a shared plan for Orion and the landers to meet in near-rectilinear halo orbit. SpaceX plans to meet Orion in Earth orbit before traveling toward low lunar orbit; Blue Origin plans to use an elliptical polar orbit around the Moon.

When are the crewed Moon landings planned?

NASA is targeting 2028 for crewed lunar surface missions. That is a program target, not confirmation that a specific company or mission date has been set.

Which company will land astronauts first?

NASA has not chosen between Blue Origin and SpaceX. The agency says it will make the selection based on lander readiness after uncrewed demonstrations and certification.

Will Artemis III land astronauts on the Moon?

NASA says Artemis III has been redefined to demonstrate rendezvous and docking between test landers and Orion in low Earth orbit next year. The update does not describe that demonstration as a lunar surface landing.

What will astronauts do during the initial surface missions?

NASA is targeting two Moonwalks of about two hours each. The agency says astronauts will collect lunar samples and test spacesuit capabilities.

Source: primary