The next chapter of lunar exploration — SLS, Orion, Starship HLS, and the Lunar Gateway. Mission timeline, vehicle profiles, international partnerships and the path to a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Last updated: · · Sources: NASA, ESA
Artemis is NASA's programme to establish a long-term human presence on and around the Moon. Named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, the programme aims to land the first woman and first person of colour on the lunar surface, build the Lunar Gateway orbital station, and develop technologies needed for eventual crewed missions to Mars.
The programme builds on decades of development and uses a combination of government and commercial vehicles. NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft provide crew transport from Earth to lunar orbit. SpaceX's Starship serves as the Human Landing System (HLS) for descent to the lunar surface. The Lunar Gateway — a small, modular space station in lunar orbit — will serve as a staging point for surface missions and deep-space research.
Artemis I flew successfully in November 2022, sending an uncrewed Orion capsule around the Moon on a 25-day mission that tested SLS and Orion's heat shield at lunar return speeds. Subsequent missions will carry crews, with the eventual goal of establishing routine access to the lunar surface and laying the groundwork for Mars.
| Mission | Target Date | Crew | Objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis I | Nov 2022 ✅ | Uncrewed | SLS/Orion test flight — 25-day lunar flyby completed successfully |
| Artemis II | TBD | 4 astronauts | First crewed SLS/Orion flight — 10-day lunar flyby, no landing |
| Artemis III | TBD | 4 astronauts | First crewed lunar landing since 1972 — Starship HLS to the south pole |
| Artemis IV | TBD | 4 astronauts | First Gateway docking, lunar orbit operations |
| Artemis V+ | TBD | TBD | Routine surface missions, base camp development, science campaigns |
Space Launch System (SLS): NASA's super heavy-lift rocket producing 39.1 MN of thrust at launch — 15% more than the Saturn V. The Block 1 variant can lift 95 tonnes to LEO and 27 tonnes to trans-lunar injection. Full SLS profile →
Orion: NASA's deep-space crew capsule, built by Lockheed Martin with an ESA-provided European Service Module. Designed for missions up to 21 days (or 6 months when docked to Gateway). Heat shield rated for lunar-return entry at 40,000 km/h. Full Orion profile →
Starship HLS: SpaceX's modified Starship vehicle selected as the Human Landing System for Artemis III and beyond. It will be pre-positioned in lunar orbit via multiple refuelling flights, then carry astronauts from Orion to the lunar surface and back. Full Starship profile →
Lunar Gateway: A small space station to be assembled in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. Core modules (PPE and HALO) will be launched on a Falcon Heavy. Gateway will serve as a waypoint for surface missions, a platform for lunar science, and a testbed for deep-space habitation technology.