ARTEMIS: NASA PREPARES THE NEXT MOON STAGE

In June, NASA updated its preliminary plans for Artemis III: a manned mission in Earth orbit that will test the rendezvous and docking between Orion and commercial modules. The profile is part of a sequence of missions whose design evolves as technical development progresses.

The agency identifies NASA, international partners and industrial contractors as participants in the architecture. Deadlines and objectives may change as reviews and trials are completed.

What to watch: system testing, vehicle certification, ship-to-ship interfaces, and official calendar updates. Preliminary plans do not equate to a confirmed release date.

Editorial illustration generated; does not represent an official photograph of flight hardware.