New Delhi: NASA has outlined plans to return to the Moon in 2028, with astronauts running additional test missions in Earth orbit, competing lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, and a new lightweight spacesuit designed to accelerate preparations.
The revised plans, detailed by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during a briefing on 23 October and subsequently published by the agency, are part of its efforts to establish a permanent American presence on the Moon.
Under the revised schedule, Artemis III will conduct tests in Earth orbit in 2027, while Artemis IV will attempt the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
“This is a very energised NASA, and these updates are only a small part of that story,” Isaacman said in the official statement.
He added that the agency was working to deliver results “as quickly, safely, affordably, and successfully as possible”.
Artemis III to test two lunar landers
The Artemis III mission will send four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launched on its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, for a planned 14-day mission in low Earth orbit.
The crew will test rendezvous and docking procedures with two commercial lunar landers.
Blue Origin will first launch a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander. Orion will subsequently dock with it, allowing astronauts to enter the vehicle and evaluate its systems.
SpaceX will then launch a test version of its Starship Version 3 lander. Orion will undock from Blue Moon and perform a second docking demonstration with Starship.
“Every piece of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before we put astronauts back on the Moon,” Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis programme manager, said in the same statement.
Faster preparations and lighter spacesuits
NASA said it had reduced Artemis III hardware processing timelines by approximately 50 per cent. Engineers also redesigned, manufactured and tested a critical fuel-line component within five months, at roughly one-tenth of the cost previously estimated by an outside supplier.
In September, engineers completed stacking the solid rocket boosters for Artemis III at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking another milestone in preparations for the mission.
“NASA should be expected to do this kind of work, and we have some of the best technical knowledge in the world on rocket hardware and operations to do it,” Parsons remarked.
For Artemis IV, NASA is considering two upper-stage configurations for the SLS rocket to provide greater flexibility.
The agency is also collaborating with Axiom Space on a lighter spacesuit called the Sortie suit, weighing approximately half as much as its primary lunar spacesuit.
The new design is intended for initial Moon walks, while the larger suit will be used for longer and more demanding missions.
Plans for a permanent Moon base
The revised programme builds on NASA’s Ignition initiative, announced in March, which proposed more frequent lunar missions and a phased approach to establishing a permanent Moon base.
NASA intends to increase lunar landing frequency, initially targeting missions every six months as its capabilities develop.
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are working towards supporting a crewed landing in 2028, although their landing systems remain under development.
NASA eventually hopes to establish infrastructure near the Moon’s South Pole, supporting longer human expeditions and scientific research while developing technologies required for future crewed missions to Mars.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)