GoKawiilThere's no doubt that Artemis II was a rousing success for NASA and space fans everywhere. The 6-hour launch broadcast was viewed by 18 million people and sparked interest in a space program that hadn't sent a spacecraft to the moon in 50 years. The crew of Artemis II splashed back down on April 10, ending the Artemis II mission. So what's next?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. NASA spent the first quarter of 2026 reorganizing its plans to accomplish more tasks and launch more often, and there are some pretty ambitious plans in the works for the agency.
There are three major prongs: returning humans to the moon, nuclear power in space, and, ultimately, a habitable base on the moon. NASA is working on the technology that will be instrumental in making all of this happen, and at this point, it's mostly a matter of getting everything done on time.
Artemis III: Pre-moon landing tests
NASA's Orion spacecraft is pictured here from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings. NASA
Artemis I sent the Orion capsule around the moon to test its capabilities. Artemis II put astronauts in the Orion capsule and sent them around the moon, breaking the record for the furthest distance from Earth traveled by humans in the process. Next up is Artemis III.
The original plan for Artemis III was to put humans back on the moon, and it was scheduled for launch in 2028. That is no longer the case. Artemis III is now a testing mission that will see a crew connect with lunar landers in low Earth orbit and test equipment in preparation for Artemis IV, which aims to put humans back on the moon in 2028. Per NASA, testing is planned for "one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin."
Artemis III is scheduled for launch in 2027 and will use the same Orion capsule and SLS rocket system that launched the Artemis I and II missions. The 2027 timeline reduces the gap between launches to just over one year. This is part of the shakeup, where NASA wants to conduct more launches in shorter timeframes to maintain momentum while increasing astronaut safety.
It's still early, and many of the mission details haven't been announced yet. The process is well underway, as NASA has returned its mobile launcher to the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to get refurbished for the Artemis III launch, and the agency has rolled out its next core stage -- the largest section of the SLS rocket -- from its Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
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