Why this program matters
Artemis Was Rebuilt Around Commercial Landers Before Its First Crew Flew
The US-led lunar program routes through Western heavy lift, comms, ISRU and space nuclear.
Artemis II carried Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen around the Moon from 1 to 11 April 2026, 406,771 km from Earth - farther than any crew before. The program around it had already been rebuilt. In February NASA cancelled the SLS Block 1B upgrade and the Exploration Upper Stage and turned Artemis III into a 2027 docking test in low orbit. In March, at an event NASA called Ignition, it set aside Gateway and announced Moon Base, a three-phase surface program. In May it renamed three commercial landings as Moon Base Missions. Observed
Jared Isaacman, confirmed as NASA Administrator on 17 December 2025, runs it on two landers - SpaceX's Starship HLS and Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK2 - with the choice for the first landing deferred until after Artemis III. China's crewed landing target is before 2030; see Chinese Program Structure. Building
Missions
The First Crewed Landing Is Now Artemis IV in 2028
Artemis III became a low-orbit docking test with both landers.
| Mission | Date | Plan and status | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis II | 1-11 April 2026 | Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen (CSA) flew around the Moon; 406,771 km from Earth, a human distance record; direct reentry chosen over skip reentry after Artemis I heat-shield erosion | Observed |
| Artemis III | Mid to late 2027 | Re-scoped 27 February 2026 to a crewed test in low Earth orbit: Orion docks with both Starship HLS and Blue Moon MK2 | Building |
| Artemis IV | Early 2028 | First crewed landing, two crew to the south pole; lander chosen after Artemis III | Building |
| Artemis V | Late 2028 | Second landing on Blue Moon ($3.4B contract); first standardized SLS with a Centaur V upper stage | Projected |
Moon Base
Three Phases, From Robots in 2026 to a Permanent Crew After 2032
Moon Base replaces Gateway as the program's lunar goal.
| Element | Date | Status | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase One - robotic foundation | Now to 2029 | Commercial landings, terrain vehicles and survey; program manager Carlos García-Galán | Building |
| Phase Two - power, cargo, communications | 2029-2032 | Lunar Reactor-1, relay and the JAXA pressurized rover | Projected |
| Phase Three - permanent presence | 2032 onward | Habitats from Italy and Canada; rotating crews | Projected |
| Moon Base Missions 1-3 | Late 2026 | Blue Moon MK1, Astrobotic Griffin-1 and Intuitive Machines IM-3; MK1 now waits on New Glenn's return to flight | Building |
| Lunar Terrain Vehicles | By 2028 | Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, about $220M each (June 2026) | Building |
| Four more commercial landers | 2028 onward | About $600M awarded 30 June 2026: Peregrine 2 and 3, IM-4, a Blue Ghost variant | Building |
| MoonFall drones · Firefly | 2028 | $75M subcontract for four propulsive surveyors | Projected |
| Gateway | Set aside March 2026 | NASA said it is not required; HALO and I-Hab corrosion reported April 2026; hardware being repurposed | Observed |
Partners and funding
76 Accords Signatories and a Proposed 23% Budget Cut
Europe, Japan and Canada supply hardware; Congress has so far rejected deep cuts.
| Partner or line | Figure | Role | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis Accords | 76 signatories | Newest include Albania, Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire and San Marino (28 September 2026) | Observed |
| ESA | Service modules | European Service Module through ESM-4 on Artemis V; I-Hab to be repurposed | Observed |
| JAXA | Pressurized rover | Lunar Cruiser with Toyota fuel cells, around 2031; two Japanese astronauts to land | Building |
| CSA | Canadarm3 for the surface | Jeremy Hansen flew Artemis II; Canadian habitat planned for Phase Three | Building |
| NASA FY2026 enacted | $24.4B | Passed January 2026; Science $7.25B | Observed |
| NASA FY2027 request | $18.8B | A 23% cut; Science about half, exploration up about 9%; senators of both parties called it inadequate | Projected |
Contested
Deliberately Not Claimed
The load-bearing uncertainties, tagged with the confidence they actually earn.
Both landers depend on propellant transfer that has not flown. Starship HLS needs a tanker sequence in the high teens; Blue Moon MK2 also refuels. Artemis IV's date rests on demonstrations still unscheduled.
New Glenn's grounding reaches the lunar surface. Blue Moon MK1 and the VIPER delivery both launch on New Glenn, whose pad was damaged in May 2026.
Gateway's status is reported both ways. NASA said paused; other sources say cancelled with hardware repurposed. The program no longer depends on it either way.
Record
Provenance and Data Sources
- Confidence
- Observed for flown, fielded or measured - Building for hardware and programs in development - Projected for announced plans - Modeled for original analysis
- Status date
- Q4 2026
- Missions
- NASA Artemis II mission record; Artemis restructure (27 February 2026); Artemis III plan (July 2026)
- Moon Base
- NASA Ignition event (24 March 2026); Moon Base announcement (26-27 May 2026); lander awards (30 June 2026); NASA Moon Base reference page
- Budget and partners
- FY2026 appropriation (January 2026); FY2027 request (April 2026); NASA Artemis Accords count (28 September 2026)
- Weakest link
- Cryogenic propellant transfer for both landers