![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2-artemis-iii-con-ops-oct2026.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>First stop: Blue Origin\u2019s lunar lander test article<\/strong> <\/p>\n Earlier Artemis missions used only NASA\u2019s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis III will involve three separate spacecraft launched on three different heavy-lift rockets within a relatively short period of time. <\/p>\n The mission begins with Blue Origin launching a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into a circular low Earth orbit approximately 273 miles (237 nautical miles) above Earth. The spacecraft can remain on orbit for up to 30 days providing schedule flexibility. Artemis III is designed as a tightly choreographed campaign, with NASA planning to launch Orion on top of SLS from the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida only days after the Blue Moon test article launch and confirmation the vehicle is healthy and ready for joint operations. <\/p>\n Following launch, Orion will initially enter an elliptical Earth orbit of 18 x 1122 miles (16 x 975 nautical miles). It will use its service module to perform a series of maneuvers to transition to a circular orbit at about 345 miles (300 nautical miles) for thermal stabilization before then gradually setting up its rendezvous with the waiting Blue Moon lander test article. Because each spacecraft operates in slightly different orbital regimes optimized for its mission requirements, Artemis III requires a carefully choreographed sequence of orbital maneuvers and rendezvous operations throughout the flight. <\/p>\n During the first two days of flight, the crew will check out Orion\u2019s systems, prepare for proximity operations, and gradually position themselves for the mission’s first major objective: rendezvous and docking with the Blue Moon test vehicle. <\/p>\n The operation represents NASA’s first opportunity to evaluate how Orion and a commercial lunar lander work together in space. Engineers will assess how software aboard both spacecraft, guidance systems, communications systems, and operational procedures perform in real-world conditions, while flight controllers gain experience coordinating activities across multiple teams and organizations. <\/p>\n Once docked, astronauts will spend approximately two days conducting evaluations aboard the Blue Moon test article. Crew members will open the hatch and enter the spacecraft, allowing them to assess the cabin environment, controls, and life-support systems firsthand. Teams will verify the spacecraft’s ability to maintain the proper atmosphere and pressure. <\/p>\n The Blue Moon test article incorporates many of the avionics, software, flight-control systems, crew-cabin technologies, and life-support functions planned for future lunar missions. Testing those systems in orbit will provide the first opportunity to evaluate how many of the lander’s flight systems perform in space as an integrated vehicle. <\/p>\n By the time Orion undocks, NASA will have completed its first evaluation of a commercial lunar lander with crew, gathering data on spacecraft systems, crew operations, and spacecraft interoperability not possible on the ground. <\/p>\n Starship docking demonstration <\/strong> <\/p>\n After completing operations with Blue Origin’s lander, Orion will undock and reposition to support the next phase of the mission: a second rendezvous operation. <\/p>\n SpaceX will launch a Starship Version 3 test article from Florida. Because Starship is designed for a much shorter on-orbit lifetime than Blue Origin’s lander, launch occurs later in the mission, allowing NASA to efficiently sequence the two docking demonstrations. Starship will enter a lower orbit at 206 nautical miles, optimized for communications coverage, and will carry an added docking system mounted at the forward end. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure>