Summary
NASA is planning its next moon mission, Artemis III, after the successful return of the Artemis II crew. This new mission will involve practicing docking maneuvers with a lunar lander around Earth. Private companies SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing landers for future NASA moon landings.
Key Facts
- Artemis III is NASA's next planned mission following the Artemis II moon flyby.
- The Artemis III mission will practice docking maneuvers in Earth's orbit with a lunar lander.
- SpaceX and Blue Origin are competing to build lunar landers for future missions.
- Elon Musk’s Starship and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Moon are the two lander contenders.
- Artemis III will prepare for a lunar landing mission planned for 2028.
- The Artemis missions aim to explore the moon’s south polar region, potentially rich in ice.
- NASA has not yet announced the crew for Artemis III.
- Artemis II included the first woman and first person of color to orbit the moon.
