Artemis 3
Definition
Artemis III (commonly referred to as Artemis 3) is the third mission in NASA's Artemis program, focused on demonstrating rendezvous and docking operations in low Earth orbit between the Orion spacecraft and one or both commercial human landing systems developed by SpaceX (Starship HLS) and Blue Origin.
Originally planned as the first crewed lunar landing of the Artemis era, the mission's scope has been updated as of 2026 to prioritize essential orbital tests ahead of a targeted 2027 launch, paving the way for future Moon missions.
Examples
Astronauts on Artemis 3 are perfecting their orbital docking skills, turning low Earth orbit into the universe's most high-stakes game of space Tetris.
With Artemis 3, NASA hopes Orion and Starship won't pull a 'it's not you, it's me' during their big rendezvous date.
Artemis 3's tests are like prepping for a lunar wedding: practicing the aisle walk in orbit first to avoid any cosmic trip-ups.
Forget fireworks; the real show on Artemis 3 will be watching Blue Origin's lander and Orion finally lock eyes across the void.