When will SpaceX and Blue Origin fly to the moon? NASA reveals lunar lander timelines (and an Artemis III update)
According to Space.com, NASA has outlined updated development timelines for SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar landers during an October 5 presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye. The agency's Artemis III mission, now targeted for the third quarter of 2027, will launch four astronauts aboard Orion to low Earth orbit where they will dock with test versions of both landers for interoperability checkouts. Those demonstrations will inform NASA's decision on which vehicle carries astronauts to the lunar surface on Artemis IV, targeted for early 2028.
SpaceX plans to fly a modified Version 3 Starship upper stage without a crew cabin for Artemis III, while Blue Origin intends to fly a completed test vehicle incorporating crew cabin, partial life-support, and flight software. NASA's timeline shows SpaceX pursuing multiple 2026 milestones including booster and upper stage catch demonstrations, a first Florida launch, and initial crew cabin build. Blue Origin faces BE-7 engine testing, thruster qualification, design reviews, and restoration of its Launch Complex-36 pad following a May New Glenn explosion, with pad operations targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
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