Emblem of the Artemis program

The Artemis program is a human spaceflight program by the United States. The Artemis program is intended to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972; mid-term objectives include establishing an international expedition team, and a sustainable human presence on the Moon. Long-term objectives for Artemis are laying the foundations for the extraction of lunar resources, and eventually making crewed missions to Mars and beyond feasible.

To date, missions in the program are aimed at exploration of the Moon, including crewed and robotic exploration of the lunar surface. Three flights of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle are currently planned for launch in the Artemis program in the early 2020s, beginning with Artemis 1. Before Artemis was named, the flights were referred to as "Orion missions". Numerous supporting scientific and technology demonstration missions are planned for launch under the program's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), in addition to planned and proposed uncrewed logistical missions to construct and resupply the Gateway and its expendable and reusable lunar landers in lunar orbit.

Main missions

Mission Launch date Crew Launch vehicle[a] Launch pad Duration[b]
EFT-1
 5 December 2014 —
Uncrewed mission 		Delta IV Heavy Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, SLC-37B 4h24m (success)
Exploration Flight Test 1, high apogee high reentry test, carrying an uncrewed Orion capsule on its first spaceflight
Artemis 1
Artemis 1 insignia 		16 November 2022[1][2] —
Uncrewed mission 		SLS Block 1 Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B 25.5d (success)
Maiden flight of the SLS, formerly "Exploration Mission 1" (EM1), carrying an uncrewed Orion capsule and ten CubeSats selected through several programs.[3] The payloads were sent on a trans-lunar injection trajectory.[4][5]
Artemis 2 September 2025[6] United States Reid Wiseman
United States Victor Glover
United States Christina Koch
Canada Jeremy Hansen 		SLS Block 1 Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈10d
First crewed flight, carrying four crew members on a circumlunar free-return trajectory.
Artemis 3 September 2026[6] TBA SLS Block 1 Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Carrying Artemis III mission hardware. First lunar landing of the Artemis program.[7]
Artemis 4 September 2028[8] TBA SLS Block 1B Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Second Artemis Lunar landing. Debut of the SLS Block 1B and the Exploration Upper Stage. Co-manifested delivery of the I-HAB module to the Lunar Gateway,[9][10] followed by a crewed lunar landing.[11]
Artemis 5 September 2029[8] TBA SLS Block 1B Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Co-manifested delivery of the ESPRIT Refueling Module to the Lunar Gateway.[12]
Artemis 6 September 2030[8][13] TBA SLS Block 1B Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Artemis 7 September 2031[8][13] TBA SLS Block 1B Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Artemis 8 2032 (presumed)[13] TBA SLS Block 1B Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Artemis 9 (proposed) 2033 (presumed)[14] TBA SLS Block 2 Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B ≈30d
Artemis 10 (proposed) 2034 (presumed) TBA SLS Block 2 Crew Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B <180d

Support missions

Technology demonstrations

Launched on 28 June 2022,[15] the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment ("CAPSTONE") mission is a small (25 kg) technology-demonstration spacecraft designed to test a low-energy trans-lunar trajectories and to demonstrate the near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) intended to support lunar polar missions.[16]

Surface missions

Peregrine (left) and Nova-C (right) will be the first two robotic landers to directly support the Artemis program.

The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program will support the Artemis program by landing several small payloads focused on scouting for lunar resources, in situ resource utilization (ISRU) experiments and lunar science, in preparation for an extended human presence on the lunar surface.[17][18][19]

List of CLPS missions
Mission Launch date Operator Lander Rover Launch pad Launch vehicle[a] Duration[b] References
Peregrine Mission One 8 January 2024 Astrobotic Peregrine Iris Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 Vulcan Centaur 10 days (failure) [20]
The lander carried multiple payloads, with a total payload mass capacity of 90 kg.[21] However, the spacecraft was unable to reach the moon because of a propellant leak. It burned up over the Pacific Ocean on 18 January.[22]
IM-1 15 February 2024 Intuitive Machines Nova-C Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A Falcon 9 66 days
(in progress) 		[23]
The lander carries six NASA-sponsored instruments, as well as six payloads from other customers, including EagleCAM.[24] The Odysseus lander successfully touched down at Malapert A near the lunar south pole on 22 February 2024.[25]
Blue Ghost M1 Q3 2024 Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost TBA Falcon 9 ≈2 weeks [26][27][28]
Griffin Mission One November 2024 Astrobotic Griffin VIPER Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A Falcon Heavy ≈100 Earth days [29][30]
IM-2 Q4 2024 Intuitive Machines Nova-C Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A Falcon 9 [31]
IM-3 Q1 2025 Intuitive Machines Nova-C Lunar Vertex, CADRE × 4 Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A Falcon 9 ≈9-10 Earth days [31][32][33]
TBA H1 2025 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA ≈9-10 Earth days [34]
TBA Q4 2025 – Q1 2026 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA ≈9-10 Earth days [34]
ispace Mission 3 2026 ispace / Draper APEX 1.0 TBA TBA ≈9-10 Earth days [35][36][37]

Logistics missions

Artist's impression of the Power and Propulsion Element, the first module of the Lunar Gateway, in lunar orbit. It will generate 50 kW (67 hp) of solar electric power for its ion thrusters, life support, and other systems.

Uncrewed missions to assemble and resupply the Gateway will be executed as part of the Artemis program.[38]

List of Gateway logistics missions
Launch date Payload
2025[6] HLS Uncrewed Lunar Demo for Artemis 3
November 2025[39] Power and Propulsion Element (PPE)
Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO)
September 2026[6] HLS Crewed Lunar Demo
September 2028[8] International Habitation Module (I-HAB) for Artemis 4
September 2028[8] Sustaining HLS Crewed Lunar Demo
2028[40] Dragon XL (GLS-1)
September 2029[8] ESPRIT Refueling Module (ERM) for Artemis 5
2029[8] GLS-2
September 2030[8] Crew and Science Airlock module for Artemis 6
September 2030[8] GLS-3
September 2031[8] GLS-4 for Artemis 7

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Serial number displayed in parentheses.
  2. ^ a b Time displayed in days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

References

  1. ^ Wattles, Jackie (8 November 2022). "NASA's Artemis I mission delayed again as storm barrels toward launch site". CNN. Warner Bros Discovery. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  2. ^ "NASA Prepares Rocket, Spacecraft Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole, Re-targets Launch". NASA. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  3. ^ Harbaugh, Jennifer (4 October 2021). "All Artemis I Secondary Payloads Installed in Rocket's Orion Stage Adapter". NASA. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  4. ^ Crane, Aimee (11 June 2019). "Artemis 1 Flight Control Team Simulates Mission Scenarios". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019. ...after the Space Launch System performs the Trans-Lunar Injection burn that sends the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and toward the Moon. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Clark, Stephen (22 July 2019). "First moon-bound Orion crew capsule declared complete, major tests remain". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019. The Artemis 1 mission profile. Credit: NASA [...] The Artemis 1 mission will send the Orion spacecraft into a distant retrograde lunar orbit and back...
  6. ^ a b c d Smith, Marcia (9 January 2024). "NASA Delays Next Artemis Missions to 2025 and 2026". SpacePolicyOnline. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  7. ^ Foust, Jeff (9 November 2021). "NASA delays human lunar landing to at least 2025". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Foust, Jeff (13 March 2023). "NASA planning to spend up to $1 billion on space station deorbit module". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. ^ Loff, Sarah (15 October 2019). "NASA Commits to Future Artemis Missions With More SLS Rocket Stages". NASA. Retrieved 16 October 2019. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. ^ "FY 2022 Budget Estimates – Gateway – Program Projects – International Habitat (I-Hab)" (PDF). NASA. 6 May 2021. p. 97 (DEXP-67). Retrieved 27 August 2021. Delivery of I-Hab to the Gateway will be via the SLS Block 1B launch vehicle with Orion providing orbital insertion and docking. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ Foust, Jeff (30 October 2022). "Lunar landing restored for Artemis 4 mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  12. ^ Foust, Jeff (20 January 2022). "NASA foresees gap in lunar landings after Artemis 3". SpaceNews. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Foust, Jeff [@jeff_foust] (31 October 2022). "The current Artemis planning manifest, now updated to include a lunar landing on Artemis 4" (Tweet). Retrieved 31 October 2022 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "NASA Exploration Production and Operations Long-Term Sustainability Request for Information (RFI)". GovTribe. 25 October 2021. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  15. ^ Dodson, Gerelle (June 28, 2022), "CAPSTONE Launches to Test New Orbit for NASA’s Artemis Moon Missions", NASA RELEASE 22-067. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  16. ^ Hall, Laura (Apr. 29, 2022). "What is CAPSTONE", NASA. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  17. ^ NASA taps 3 companies for commercial moon missions William Harwood CBS News 31 May 2019
  18. ^ NASA awards contracts to three companies to land payloads on the moon Jeff Foust SpaceNews 31 May 2019
  19. ^ "NASA Expands Plans for Moon Exploration: More Missions, More Science". NASA. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  20. ^ "US Moon mission on course for fiery destruction". BBC News. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  21. ^ "NASA – NSSDCA – Spacecraft – Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  22. ^ Wattles, Jackie (19 January 2024). "Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander burns up over Pacific Ocean". CNN. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  23. ^ Foust, Jeff (19 December 2023). "Intuitive Machines delays first lunar lander launch to February". SpaceNews. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Media teleconference - Lunar Delivery Readiness for First Intuitive Machines Moon Flight". NASA. 13 February 2024. ( Page will play audio when loaded)
  25. ^ "Intuitive Machines lands on the moon in historic first for a U.S. company". 22 February 2024.
  26. ^ Alamalhoadei, Aria (6 November 2023). "Firefly's Blue Ghost lander represents a big bet on a future lunar economy". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Firefly Completes Integration Readiness Review of its Blue Ghost Lunar Lander". Firefly Aerospace. 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Firefly Aerospace Awards Contract to SpaceX to Launch Blue Ghost Mission to Moon in 2023". Business Wire. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  29. ^ "NASA Replans CLPS Delivery of VIPER to 2024 to Reduce Risk". NASA. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  30. ^ Foust, Jeff (13 April 2021). "Astrobotic selects Falcon Heavy to launch NASA's VIPER lunar rover". SpaceNews. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  31. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (13 February 2024). "Intuitive Machines ready for launch of its first lunar lander". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  32. ^ "NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver 4 Lunar Payloads in 2024". Intuitive Machines. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  33. ^ "NASA Selects Intuitive Machines for New Lunar Science Delivery". NASA (Press release). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  34. ^ a b "Amendment 34: Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) final text and due dates" (PDF). NASA. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  35. ^ Foust, Jeff (29 September 2023). "Ispace revises design of lunar lander for NASA CLPS mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  36. ^ "ispace - U.S. Announces new U.S. Headquarters, Unveils APEX 1.0 Lunar Lander, Provides Updates on Mission 3". ispace. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  37. ^ "NASA Selects Draper to Fly Research to Far Side of Moon". NASA (Press release). 21 July 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  38. ^ Foust 2019, "After Artemis 3, NASA would launch four additional crewed missions to the lunar surface between 2025 and 2028. Meanwhile, the agency would work to expand the Gateway by launching additional components and crew vehicles and laying the foundation for an eventual Moon base".
  39. ^ "Gateway". NASA. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  40. ^ Foust, Jeff (24 February 2023). "NASA plans to start work this year on first Gateway logistics mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

External links

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