Cape Canaveral, Fla.
NASA is getting ready for new Moon missions. Workers are building a giant rocket. They have stacked four rocket pieces so far.
The rocket will launch a spacecraft called Orion. One mission may land astronauts on the Moon. NASA hopes this happens in 2027.
Cape Canaveral, Fla.
NASA is moving quickly toward its next Moon missions, Artemis II and Artemis III. Artemis II will send astronauts around the Moon without landing. It will act as an important test flight. Artemis III aims to land astronauts on the Moon's surface again. That would be the first Moon landing in more than 50 years.
NASA's administrator said this month he feels extremely confident about a 2027 launch. Teams are preparing the Orion spacecraft and the powerful SLS rocket. Officials say progress is moving faster than it did before earlier Artemis milestones. That is notable since the program has faced delays in the past.
Cape Canaveral, Fla.
NASA appears to be accelerating its timeline toward the next generation of crewed lunar missions. These missions, called Artemis II and Artemis III, mark a new chapter for the agency. Artemis II will carry astronauts on a flight around the Moon without landing, serving as a critical test ahead of Artemis III. Artemis III aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than five decades. This month, NASA's administrator said he feels extremely confident that Artemis III could launch as early as 2027.
Behind the scenes, engineering teams are preparing the Orion spacecraft and the powerful Space Launch System rocket. Both will eventually carry astronauts toward the Moon on future flights. Officials say current preparations are advancing faster than those before earlier Artemis milestones. That pace suggests the program may be gaining momentum after years of scrutiny. The Artemis program has faced repeated delays and cost overruns in the past. Those issues drew criticism from congressional oversight committees and independent auditors. Hardware assembly, safety reviews, and astronaut training are now proceeding at the same time across NASA facilities.
If Artemis II and Artemis III stay on schedule, they would mark a historic return to deep space. They would be the first crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo ended in the 1970s. These missions carry real symbolic and strategic weight for the United States and its partners. Many partner nations are contributing hardware or expertise to the effort. NASA hopes the missions will help build a lasting human presence near the Moon. That presence could eventually support future missions to Mars. Still, experts warn that a single serious technical problem could delay the schedule again. Because of that risk, the coming months of testing will be closely watched.
Sources: NASA Artemis blog (nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/2026/08/); Spaceflight Now (spaceflightnow.com/2026/08/14/nasa-administrator-extremely-confident-in-artemis-3-launch-in-2027/); NASA Artemis blog (nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/2026/08/); NASA Artemis II page (nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/); Spaceflight Now (spaceflightnow.com/2026/08/14/nasa-administrator-extremely-confident-in-artemis-3-launch-in-2027/); NASA (nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/); Spaceflight Now (spaceflightnow.com/2026/08/14/nasa-administrator-extremely-confident-in-artemis-3-launch-in-2027/); NASA Artemis blog (nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/2026/08/)
Published in Sunday, August 30, 2026 edition.