Artemis

Updated: 11/04/2026 (NZ DATE)

Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology and a goddess of the Moon, was chosen as it had relation to both the previous Apollo program and the Moon. The modern equivalent or twin to the Apollo program, Artemis led by NASA aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972 (Apollo 17). The program is led by NASA, but also in collaboration with numerous agencies from around the world unlike Apollo. NASA's goal with the Artemis program is to establish a long-term sustainable human presence on the Moon as well as landing the first ever woman. Future missions aim at landing astronauts near the lunar south pole where water ice may be present. Extensive research and experiments will then be carried out as well as potentially setting up the foundation for future Moon bases. The Artemis missions serve as a stepping stone for future human missions to Mars, allowing engineers and scientists to develop the required systems and experience for deep space exploration. As of early 2026, NASA have successfully completed Artemis missions 1 and 2, with 2 flying a crewed Orion around the Moon and back.

The Artemis program will use multiple spacecrafts developed by different agencies to allow for lunar missions. The main rocket used to take off is the Space Launch System (SLS) which launches astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft from Earth into Lunar orbit where they will dock with the Lunar Gateway. Next, astronauts transfer into a Lunar lander like Starship HLS or Blue Moon Lander, which takes them to the Moon's surface. Supporting spacecrafts like the Dragon XL, will deliver required equipment and supplies while surface vehicles such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle allow astronauts to traverse the Moon. All these systems help for an integrated architecture that allows for frequent missions and long-term human presence beyond Earth.

Missions:

Artemis I (2022) - First uncrewed test of the SLS & Orion spacecraft. Successfully orbited the Moon & returned to Earth, verifying key systems
Artemis II (2026) - First crewed mission using SLS & Orion spacecraft. Successfully sent four astronauts around the Moon & back (no lunar landing). Verified life-support, crew systems, & safe reentry.
Artemis III (estimated 2027) - Second crewed mission to test docking capabilities between Orion & commercially developed Starship HLS & Blue Origins Blue Moon. Updates closer to launch date.
Artemis IV (estimated 2028) - First crewed landing on the Moon. If successful, astronauts will gather samples & data. Updates closer to launch date & depends on Artemis 3.

Spacecrafts:

Space Launch System (SLS) - Developed by NASA. Primary heavy lift rocket. Carries astronauts & cargo beyond Earth orbit.
Orion - Developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin, & European Space Agency. Crew capsule for astronauts. Travels from Earth to Lunar orbit and back. Sits on top of the SLS at launch.
Starship Human Landing Systems (HLS) - Developed by SpaceX & will land astronauts on the Moon. Aimed to be fully reusable & refueled in orbit.
Blue Moon Lander - Developed by Blue Origin. Planned for later Artemis missions & part of the second landing system for redundancy.
Lunar Gateway - Planned small space station orbiting the Moon & will act as staging points for missions.
Dragon XL - Used as cargo resupply vehicle for Gateway & delivers equipment, supplies, & experiments.
Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) - Next-gen Moon rover used for astronauts travelling long distances on the Moon. Operated both crewed & remotely.
Additional Systems - Orion service module (ESA), SLS boosters (Northrop Grumman), Gateway modules (international partners)

Agencies:

NASA
European Space Agency (ESA)
Canadian Space Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
SpaceX
Blue Origin
Lockheed Martin
Boeing
Northrop Grumman