Artemis program
NASA-led program to return humans to the Moon.
The Artemis program is NASA’s initiative to send people back to the Moon for the first time since Apollo and to set up a permanent base there. It was officially started in 2017 under Space Policy Directive-1, signed by President Donald Trump. As of the established canon, one mission—Artemis I (uncrewed)—has been completed, with Artemis II (crewed lunar flyby) planned for no earlier than September 2025, and two further missions officially scheduled: Artemis III (late 2027) and Artemis IV (early 2028).
Key hardware includes Space Shuttle–derived parts, like the Space Launch System’s core stage, its RS-25 engines, and solid rocket boosters, as well as systems from the canceled Constellation program, such as the Orion spacecraft (paired with the European Service Module) and booster upgrades originally meant for the Ares V. Private companies are developing the Human Landing System (HLS) under contract. International cooperation is governed by the Artemis Accords.
Artemis I, an uncrewed mission, sent Orion into lunar orbit in 2022. During its return, the heat shield performed as expected, with charring and minor erosion within design parameters. Artemis II, targeting no earlier than September 2025, will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby—the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975). Artemis III, planned for no earlier than late 2027, aims to perform the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo. Artemis IV, targeted for 2028, will expand on that with additional surface operations. Starting with Artemis V, no earlier than late 2028, NASA intends to conduct yearly lunar landings to build a permanent base, as a stepping stone for deeper space missions.
The program is structured around missions roughly a year apart, from Artemis I through Artemis V, with more proposed. Each numbered mission launches an SLS rocket carrying Orion. Missions after Artemis II also rely on support flights from other organizations and spacecraft. Planners have considered sending a cultural archive called the Lunar Codex to the Moon. Core infrastructure includes SLS, Orion, and HLS, plus the Commercial Lunar Payload Services, Exploration Ground Systems, Artemis Base Camp, a Lunar Terrain Vehicle, and spacesuit development. Some choices, like the near-rectilinear halo orbit and long-term sustainability plans, have drawn criticism.
Orion’s firs
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- Artemis II (targeting no earlier than September 2025)
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- Artemis III (late 2027)
Lore & Background
The Artemis program incorporates several major components of previously canceled NASA programs, including the Constellation program and the Asteroid Redirect Mission. Originally legislated by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, Constellation was suspended after the Augustine Committee concluded it was massively underfunded. On April 15, 2010, President Obama canceled the non-Orion elements of Constellation, and on October 11, 2010, he signed the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, requiring development of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. On June 30, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order to re-establish the National Space Council, and on December 11, 2017, he signed Space Policy Directive 1, calling for a US-led human return to the Moon. On March 26, 2019, Vice President Mike Pence announced that NASA's Moon landing goal would be accelerated to 2024. On May 16, 2019, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the program would be named Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo.
Reader's Guide
The Artemis program represents a significant shift in US space policy, aiming to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone for deeper space missions. Its core infrastructure includes the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, and the Human Landing System (HLS), developed by private companies. The program has flown two successful missions: the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and the crewed Artemis II in 2026, the only crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit not part of the Apollo program. Future missions include Artemis III (late 2027) to test lunar landers in Earth orbit, Artemis IV (early 2028) for the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17, and Artemis V (late 2028) to begin building a Moon base. International collaborations are bound by the Artemis Accords. The program has drawn criticism for its use of a near-rectilinear halo orbit and long-term sustainability plans. Its legacy will be determined by its success in achieving sustained lunar exploration and preparing for human missions to Mars.
Did You Know?
- Artemis II, flown on April 1, 2026, was the only crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit not part of the Apollo program.
- The Artemis program was formally established via Space Policy Directive-1 in 2017 by President Donald Trump.
- Artemis I's Orion capsule experienced greater-than-expected heat shield erosion during reentry.
- Artemis IV, planned for early 2028, is intended to be the first American crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
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