NASA eyes Artemis III as Musk and Bezos compete for moon lander contract
The world may still be awestruck by Artemis II’s breathtaking views, record-breaking distance, and emotional return, but the next chapter for NASA is already beginning.
Entry flight director Rick Henfling hinted that Artemis III was the focus of the space agency’s attention after the Artemis II crew landed safely in the Pacific on Saturday.
“The next mission is just around the corner,” Henfling said.
In the next high-risk mission, starting next year, Artemis III astronauts will orbit Earth and practice deploying Orion capsules onto a commercial lunar lander; This is a critical step before returning to the moon.
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The Artemis II crew captured an image of the Earth’s environment behind the Moon during a lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. (NASA/AP)
Elon Musk’s Starship and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Moon lander are racing to prove their companies’ lander will be ready first.
Billionaires are also vying for the opportunity to carry Artemis IV astronauts during the program’s first moon landing, scheduled for 2028.
The Artemis II Orion capsule crashed into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026. (NASA/AP)
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NASA has already positioned key hardware for docking testing at Kennedy Space Center, while SpaceX is preparing another Starship test flight and Blue Origin is moving toward its own moon landing demonstration later this year.
The long-term goal is much bigger than a single landing. NASA and its partners are targeting the moon’s south pole, which is believed to have vast reserves of ice that could provide water and fuel for a future base; This project is expected to cost 20 to 30 billion dollars.
Artemis II crew members Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman take the stage at the end of the crew return event at Ellington Field in Houston on April 11, 2026. (Michael Wyke/AP)
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NASA is expected to announce the Artemis III crew soon. The mission was designed to mirror Apollo-era tests and reduce risk before sending astronauts back to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
