After the triumph of Artemis II, now comes the hard part
Key takeaways
- Artemis III was originally supposed to be the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 over 50 years ago.
- Artemis III will now take place in low Earth orbit.
- As many as two crewed lunar landings, designated as Artemis IV and Artemis V, were to take place in 2028.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Whittington, opinion contributor - 05/17/26 10:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Mark R. Whittington, opinion contributor - 05/17/26 10:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman speaks during a press conference after the Artemis II moon rocket launched from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) The afterglow of Artemis II s triumph has barely faded, and NASA is already setting about placing the first footprints on the moon in over 50 years. However, all the things that the space agency and its partners have to do makes sending four human beings around the moon seem like a weekend excursion by comparison.
Artemis III was originally supposed to be the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 over 50 years ago. But NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wisely decided that there needed to be an intermediate step between Artemis II, the first crewed deep space mission of the 21st century, and the next moon landing, which will now be designated as Artemis IV.
Artemis III will now take place in low Earth orbit. The plan is to launch an Orion spacecraft with four astronauts. Instead of heading to the moon, it is to dock with either a SpaceX Starship, a Blue Origin Blue Moon or both of the planned Human Landing Systems intended to take astronauts to the lunar surface.