NASA presented a detailed overview of its plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface at a news conference on Friday, announcing that the first crewed Moon landing could occur as early as 2028 under the Artemis Program.
For the first time, the agency laid out the full architecture of the mission and acknowledged significant changes to earlier concepts. The new design incorporates the latest developments from commercial partners and outlines how the various components will work together.
In the revised plan for SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, the Orion spacecraft will dock with the Starship lunar lander while in high‑Earth orbit before the pair travel to the Moon. This arrangement is intended to streamline the transfer of crew and cargo to the lunar surface.
Blue Origin’s architecture calls for four launches of its New Glenn rocket and does not include any spacecraft‑to‑spacecraft refuelings. The design also leaves open the possibility of the Blue Moon lander rendezvousing with Orion in low‑lunar orbit, providing an additional option for crew transfer.
NASA’s updated roadmap demonstrates progress toward a crewed lunar return, while the agency continues to refine the details of the Artemis Program’s complex launch and transfer sequence.
<small>Source: Ars Technica — read the original story there.</small>
