NASA Backs 2027 Artemis 3 Launch as 4 of 10 Booster Segments Are Stacked
Updated
Updated · SpacePolicyOnline.com · Aug 14
NASA Backs 2027 Artemis 3 Launch as 4 of 10 Booster Segments Are Stacked
3 articles · Updated · SpacePolicyOnline.com · Aug 14
Summary
NASA said it is “extremely confident” Artemis 3 will launch in 2027, citing active SLS stacking at Kennedy Space Center and recent Orion spacecraft integration.
Four of 10 solid-rocket-booster segments are already stacked, while engine integration continues on the core stage and Orion’s crew and service modules were mated earlier this summer.
The mission requires three launches in under a year: Blue Origin’s New Glenn will send a test Blue Moon lander to orbit, SLS-Orion will dock with it days later, and SpaceX’s Starship Version 3 will launch a docking-target vehicle.
Isaacman said Blue Origin’s test lander and SpaceX’s rising launch cadence could cut risk for Artemis 4, which NASA is targeting for 2028 as the program’s first crewed lunar landing.
The update came during NASA’s announcement of the privately funded Max Power expo at Kennedy in November, where ticket prices across its three venues would total $179.23 for one adult attending all in one day.