Race to the Moon · United States
The only nation to have landed people on the Moon (six landings, 1969–72) flew a crew around it again in April 2026. In February 2026 NASA made Artemis III an Earth-orbit docking test and moved the first landing since 1972 to Artemis IV; in March it paused Gateway and announced a south-pole Moon Base.
Data reviewed against sources as of · Tracker method v1.0 · All dates UTC unless a local time is shown
2028 (NASA target: early 2028) — Artemis IV
Earlier reading used as a sensitivity: "Early 2028" (NASA ESDMD, NASA Artemis IV page, GAO)
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (updated 16 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
EO 14369: "establishing initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030". NASA’s Moon Base phase plan starts long-duration human presence in 2033 or later. No official date for continuous occupation.
Sources: The White House (Executive Order 14369) (18 Dec 2025) · SpaceQ (24 Mar 2026)
| Rung | Level |
|---|---|
| L1 Landing launchers reach orbit | Flown, short (½) |
| L2 Crew vehicle: uncrewed lunar round trip | Done (1) |
| L3 Crew beyond low Earth orbit | Done (1) |
| L4 Crew lander flown in space | Flown, short (½) |
| L5 Critical in-space operations | Flown, short (½) |
| L6 Uncrewed landing by the crew lander | Planned (0) |
| L7 Lunar surface suit flown | Planned (0) |
| L8 Crewed landing | Planned (0) |
| Rung | Level |
|---|---|
| P1 South-polar robotic landing | Flown, short (½) |
| P2 Dedicated lunar relay | Planned (0) |
| P3 ISRU demonstrated on the Moon | Flown, short (½) |
| P4 Power through the lunar night | Planned (0) |
| P5 Crew-capable surface habitat | Planned (0) |
| P6 Cadence | Planned (0) |
| P7 30-day crewed stay | Planned (0) |
| P8 Continuous presence, one year | Planned (0) |
Sources: Space.com (updated 17 Sep 2026)
Sources: NASA (release 26-048) (9 Jun 2026)
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026)
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026)
Date:
Uncrewed Orion on the first SLS, 16 Nov – 11 Dec 2022 (25 d 10 h 53 min). Heat-shield char loss led to a modified entry for Artemis II.
Sources: NASA (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Date:
First crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972: launched 1 Apr 2026 22:35 UTC, flew around the Moon on 6 Apr and splashed down 10 Apr 8:07 pm EDT (11 Apr 00:07 UTC). Set the human distance record, 252,756 miles.
Sources: NASA (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (6 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (10 Apr 2026)
Date:
No longer a landing. A crewed test in low Earth orbit: Orion rendezvous and docking with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 HLS pathfinder and SpaceX’s Starship HLS pathfinder. Crew: Bresnik, Parmitano (ESA), Douglas, Rubio. Hardware stacking is under way.
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (13 May 2026) · NASA (release 26-048) (9 Jun 2026) · NASA (Artemis III news and updates) (read 23 Sep 2026)
Date:
The first crewed landing since Apollo 17, near the south pole. Four crew; two descend. NASA has not designated the lander: "lander readiness will determine which provider".
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (updated 16 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Date:
Second landing and the start of base-building; then "at least one surface landing every year". At Ignition NASA described crewed missions about every six months after Artemis IV and V — an aspiration.
Sources: NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026)
SLS reached trans-lunar injection on Artemis I and II. NASA standardised SLS in February 2026 and dropped the Exploration Upper Stage and Mobile Launcher 2. A ULA Centaur V upper stage was selected through a sole-source justification. Orion accounts for about 75% of the cumulative overruns in NASA’s major-project portfolio (GAO).
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Contracted for the (former) Artemis III and IV landings (about $4.3 billion potential, up 6% since). The architecture needs "more than 10 Starship tankers" per landing (OIG), a tanker every 6 days, and a 12–24-day pad turnaround not yet demonstrated. Starship has flown 13 suborbital flights; Flight 14 (NET 28 Sep 2026) is the first planned orbital flight. Ship-to-ship propellant transfer, planned for March 2026, has not been attempted.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026) · Spaceflight Now (10 Mar 2026) · Space.com (updated 17 Sep 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
Mk2 crew lander: about $3.1 billion crew-lander portion (OIG); critical design review slipping to July 2026 and an uncrewed demo projected for February 2029 before the restructure. A "Blue Moon Mark 2 HLS pathfinder" docks with Orion on Artemis III. The MK1 cargo lander (Moon Base I) waits on New Glenn, which exploded on its pad in May 2026; NASA now expects it in the first part of 2027.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026) · NASA (13 May 2026) · Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · Spaceflight Now (29 May 2026)
GAO (July 2026): key decision point deferred and the suit "does not meet several sizing requirements"; a combined design review is planned for fall 2026. OIG: demonstrations "may not occur until 2031" if delays follow the historical average. First in-space test planned on Artemis III.
Sources: U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026) · SpacePolicyOnline (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026)
Phase 1 (now–2028): robotic landings, lunar terrain vehicles, the Artemis IV landing. Phase 2 (2029–2032): power, communications, JAXA pressurised rover. Phase 3 (2033 and beyond): long-duration presence with ASI multi-purpose habitats and a CSA utility vehicle. About $20 billion over seven years, as presented (no NASA primary for the figure). Programme executive: Carlos García-Galán.
Sources: SpaceQ (24 Mar 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026) · NASA (24 Mar 2026) · Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026)
Date:
Astrolab CLV-1 ($219M) and Lunar Outpost Pegasus ($220M), delivered by Blue Origin landers. Intuitive Machines was not selected. Four MoonFall scouting drones (Firefly) launch in 2028.
Sources: NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026) · SpacePolicyOnline (26 May 2026) · Astrolab (26 May 2026)
Date:
At least 100 kWe, closed Brayton cycle; ready to launch by Q1 FY2030 (directive) and "ready for launch by 2030" (EO 14369). NASA–DOE MOU January 2026. No prime vendor award found as of September 2026. The separate Space Reactor-1 Freedom is a nuclear-electric propulsion demonstrator on a Mars-flyby mission targeted before the end of 2028; it is not the surface reactor.
Sources: NASA (Acting Administrator directive) (4 Aug 2025) · The White House (Executive Order 14369) (18 Dec 2025) · U.S. Department of Energy (13 Jan 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026)
Date:
Paused by NASA "in its current form"; funding redirection pending in Congress
NASA paused Gateway on 24 Mar 2026 and plans to "repurpose applicable Gateway hardware". Congress appropriated $2.6 billion for it in July 2025; the FY2027 request proposes redirecting it. ESA’s I-Hab continues to its critical design review while repurposing is assessed; the next European decision is due at a December 2026 ministerial meeting.
Sources: U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026) · SpacePolicyOnline (3 Apr 2026) · European Spaceflight (23 Jun 2026)
Four CLPS landers launched 2024–25: Peregrine (failed), IM-1 (landed tilted), Blue Ghost 1 (full success), IM-2 (landed on its side). None has landed in 2026. Next: Griffin-1 (NET November 2026), Blue Moon MK1 and IM-3 (first part of 2027), Blue Ghost 2 (later in 2027).
Sources: NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026) · Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · NASA (2 Mar 2025) · NASA (release 25-025) (7 Mar 2025) · NASA (18 Jan 2024)
No US lunar relay is operating. ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder relay rides on Blue Ghost 2 (later in 2027). CAPSTONE and LRO are not relays.
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
FY2025 enacted $24.8 billion; FY2026 enacted $24.4 billion; FY2027 request $18.8 billion (−23%) including $8.5 billion for Artemis. FY2027 runs on a continuing resolution to 11 Dec 2026.
Sources: SpacePolicyOnline (3 Apr 2026) · Computing Research Association (3 Sep 2026)
SpaceX Starship HLS contract (Option A)
Selected in April 2021; awarded in July 2021 after a protest-driven stop-work, with a potential value of about $3 billion. Covered an uncrewed demo and the (former) Artemis III landing.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Sources: NASA NSSDCA Master Catalog (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
SpaceX HLS Option B exercised
A sustaining lander for the (former) Artemis IV, potential value about $1 billion (OIG).
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
CAPSTONE: Near-rectilinear halo orbit insertion burn completed (13 Nov US Eastern)
Sources: NASA NSSDCA Master Catalog (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
Artemis I (Orion, uncrewed) launched
Sources: NASA (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
LunaH-Map (Artemis I cubesat) launched
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
Lunar IceCube (Artemis I cubesat) launched
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
LunIR (Artemis I cubesat) launched
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
LunaH-Map (Artemis I cubesat): Propulsion failed; never reached lunar orbit
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
Artemis I (Orion, uncrewed): Lunar flyby
Sources: NASA (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Artemis I (Orion, uncrewed): Splashdown after 25 d 10 h 53 min
Sources: NASA (read 23 Sep 2026) · NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
Blue Origin selected for a second crew lander (Blue Moon Mk2)
About $3.1 billion for the crew-lander portion, excluding cargo-lander line items (OIG, March 2026).
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Lunar Flashlight: NASA ended the mission; it never reached lunar orbit
Sources: NASA NSSDCA (updated 10 Jul 2025)
Peregrine Mission One launched
Sources: NASA (18 Jan 2024) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
Peregrine Mission One: Propellant leak; controlled re-entry, never landed
Sources: NASA (18 Jan 2024) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
Sources: NASA APOD (24 Feb 2024) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
IM-1 Odysseus: Landed at Malapert A near the south pole; came to rest tilted after breaking a leg
Sources: NASA APOD (24 Feb 2024) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
Starship Flight 3: propellant moved between two tanks inside one ship
NASA OIG: "between two tanks within the Starship vehicle". Ship-to-ship transfer — what the HLS architecture needs — has not been attempted.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
VIPER rover cancelled
Conditionally revived in September 2025
Sources: NASA (19 Sep 2025)
Sources: NASA (2 Mar 2025) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
IM-2 Athena (+ PRIME-1, Grace, MAPP, Yaoki) launched
Sources: NASA (release 25-025) (7 Mar 2025) · NASA (Mar 2025)
Lunar Trailblazer: Contact lost the day after launch (solar arrays not oriented to the Sun)
Sources: NASA JPL (4 Aug 2025)
Sources: NASA JPL (4 Aug 2025)
Blue Ghost Mission 1: Landed near Mons Latreille, Mare Crisium (03:34 EST)
Sources: NASA (2 Mar 2025) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
Sources: NASA (release 25-025) (7 Mar 2025) · NASA (Mar 2025)
IM-2 Athena (+ PRIME-1, Grace, MAPP, Yaoki): Mission ended (12:15 am CST)
Sources: NASA (release 25-025) (7 Mar 2025) · NASA (Mar 2025)
Reconciliation act adds about $10 billion for NASA
Includes $4.1 billion for the SLS rockets for Artemis IV and V and $2.6 billion for Gateway.
Sources: SpacePolicyOnline (3 Jul 2025)
Lunar Trailblazer: Mission ended
Sources: NASA JPL (4 Aug 2025)
Fission Surface Power directive
At least 100 kWe, closed Brayton cycle, awards to up to two providers with an option to down-select at PDR, "readiness to launch by the first quarter of FY30".
Sources: NASA (Acting Administrator directive) (4 Aug 2025)
VIPER delivery conditionally revived on Blue Moon MK1 #2
$190 million total potential value. The base order covers design and demonstration; the deployment option is decided after Blue Moon MK1’s first flight.
Sources: NASA (19 Sep 2025)
NASA asks SpaceX and Blue Origin for lander-acceleration proposals
Task orders to both providers; proposals were due in December 2025.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Executive Order 14369, "Ensuring American Space Superiority"
"Returning Americans to the Moon by 2028"; "establishing initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030"; "a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030".
Sources: The White House (Executive Order 14369) (18 Dec 2025)
Starship HLS uncrewed lunar landing demonstration
Must include a lunar ascent. OIG (March 2026): expected "to slip to the end of 2026" at the earliest; it now depends on first orbit and ship-to-ship transfer.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
New Glenn return to flight
Sources: Spaceflight Now (30 Jun 2026)
NASA–DOE memorandum on a lunar surface reactor
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy (13 Jan 2026)
Mobile Launcher 2 construction halted
Sources: U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Artemis restructured: Artemis III becomes an Earth-orbit test; Artemis IV becomes the first landing
NASA: "the Artemis III mission, now in 2027 … to prepare for an Artemis IV landing in 2028", and "at least one surface landing every year thereafter". SLS standardised on the Block 1 configuration.
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026)
Ship-to-ship cryogenic propellant transfer demonstration
No confirmed new date
Needed by Starship HLS. Planned for March 2025, then March 2026 (OIG); not attempted as of Flight 13.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
NASA drops the Exploration Upper Stage; Artemis IV "early 2028", Artemis V "by late 2028"
NASA is "no longer planning to use the Exploration Upper Stage or Mobile Launcher 2". A ULA Centaur V upper stage was selected through a sole-source justification; which flight first uses it is not confirmed by NASA.
Sources: NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
NASA OIG report on the Human Landing System contracts
SpaceX’s lander "will not be ready for a June 2027 lunar landing"; it is "too early to determine the technical feasibility" of acceleration; NASA has no capability to rescue a stranded crew.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026) · Spaceflight Now (10 Mar 2026)
Ignition: NASA pauses Gateway and announces a south-pole Moon Base
Gateway paused "in its current form"; a phased Moon Base at about $20 billion over seven years (as presented, per the Planetary Society); an expanded CLPS of "up to 30 robotic landings starting in 2027" for roughly $6 billion over a decade.
Sources: NASA (24 Mar 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026) · SpaceQ (24 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Sources: NASA (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (6 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (10 Apr 2026) · Via Satellite (12 Apr 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
FY2027 budget request: NASA $18.8 billion, Artemis $8.5 billion
Against $24.4 billion enacted for FY2026. Proposes redirecting the $2.6 billion of Gateway money to a lunar base camp ($175 million new line).
Sources: SpacePolicyOnline (3 Apr 2026)
Artemis II (Orion): Lunar flyby: closest approach about 4,067 miles above the far side
Sources: NASA (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (6 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (10 Apr 2026) · Via Satellite (12 Apr 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
Artemis II (Orion): New human distance record: 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth
Sources: NASA (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (6 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (10 Apr 2026) · Via Satellite (12 Apr 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
Artemis II (Orion): Splashdown off San Diego, 2.9 miles from target
Sources: NASA (20 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (6 Apr 2026) · NASA (mission blog) (10 Apr 2026) · Via Satellite (12 Apr 2026) · Wikipedia (read 23 Sep 2026, secondary)
NASA OIG on lunar suits (IG-26-006)
If Axiom’s delays follow the historical average, "the Artemis and ISS demonstrations may not occur until 2031".
Sources: SpacePolicyOnline (20 Apr 2026)
Artemis III SLS core stage arrives at Kennedy
Sources: NASA (Artemis III news and updates) (read 23 Sep 2026)
NASA outlines Artemis III: Orion docks with both landers’ pathfinders in Earth orbit
"Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 human landing system pathfinder" and "SpaceX’s Starship human landing system pathfinder"; a non-propulsive spacer replaces the upper stage.
Sources: NASA (13 May 2026)
Starship Flight 12, the first V3 ship
Suborbital. The ship succeeded; the booster did not complete its boostback burn and crashed uncontrolled in the Gulf.
Sources: Space.com (22 May 2026) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Moon Base awards: two lunar terrain vehicles, lander task orders, MoonFall drones
Astrolab CLV-1 ($219M) and Lunar Outpost Pegasus ($220M), both to be delivered by 2028; Blue Origin task orders ($188M plus a $280.4M option) to deliver them; four MoonFall drones built by Firefly for 2028. Moon Base I, II and III named.
Sources: NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026) · SpacePolicyOnline (26 May 2026) · Astrolab (26 May 2026)
New Glenn explodes during a static fire at LC-36
About 9 pm EDT on 28 May; cause under investigation, with early analysis pointing to the first stage’s aft section. LC-36 is New Glenn’s only pad; Blue Moon MK1 slipped to early 2027.
Sources: Spaceflight Now (29 May 2026) · Spaceflight Now (30 Jun 2026)
Artemis III crew named
Randy Bresnik (commander), Luca Parmitano (pilot, ESA — "the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission"), Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio; backup Bob Hines.
Sources: NASA (release 26-048) (9 Jun 2026)
Four more CLPS deliveries awarded for late 2028
Sources: NASA (30 Jun 2026) · Via Satellite (30 Jun 2026)
Artemis III booster stacking begins
Stacking began in early July and was more than halfway complete by 27 Aug; RS-25 installation began in late August.
Sources: NASA (Artemis III news and updates) (read 23 Sep 2026)
GAO assessment of NASA major projects
HLS cost and schedule baselines "under review"; the lunar suit programme’s key decision point deferred, and the suit "does not meet several sizing requirements".
Sources: U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Starship Flight 13 (V3)
Suborbital; released 20 Starlink V3 satellites on a path that deorbited them by design. SpaceX: "softest splashdown we have ever had". The booster hit the water harder than planned.
Sources: Space.com (Jul 2026)
NASA expects only one lunar launch in 2026 (Griffin-1)
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026)
Starship Flight 14 — first planned orbital flight
"As early as Monday, September 28, pending regulatory approval" (SpaceX, 17 Sep 2026)
Up to 26 Starlink V3 satellites; 75-minute window opening 8:15 am EDT. The first 13 flights were all suborbital. Reaching orbit would move the US on rung L1.
Sources: Space.com (updated 17 Sep 2026)
Griffin Mission One ("Moon Base II")
Lander plus Astrolab’s FLIP rover for Mons Mouton near the south pole; the only lunar launch NASA expects in 2026. Falcon Heavy per Spaceflight Now.
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · Spaceflight Now (16 Jun 2026) · NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026)
FY2027 continuing resolution runs out
NASA is funded at FY2026 levels until then
Sources: Computing Research Association (3 Sep 2026)
Blue Moon MK1 "Endurance" ("Moon Base I")
Uncrewed cargo pathfinder — not the crew lander — for the Shackleton connecting ridge, carrying NASA’s SCALPSS cameras and a laser retroreflector. The slip followed the New Glenn explosion on its pad in May 2026.
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026) · Spaceflight Now (30 Jun 2026)
IM-3 Nova-C "Trinity" ("Moon Base III")
Reiner Gamma swirl (Lunar Vertex). NASA had said 2026 on 26 May 2026.
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026)
Mons Mouton.
Sources: NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026) · NASA NSSDCA Master Catalog (read 23 Sep 2026)
Artemis III: crewed docking test with lander pathfinders in Earth orbit
About two weeks. Orion docks with the Blue Origin pathfinder for about two days, then with the Starship pathfinder for about a day. Also tests the AxEMU suit.
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (release 26-048) (9 Jun 2026) · NASA (updated 12 Jun 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
VIPER was cancelled in July 2024 and conditionally revived on 19 Sep 2025. The base task order covers design and demonstration; NASA "will decide whether to exercise the deployment option after reviewing Blue Origin’s first Blue Moon MK1 flight", which has slipped to early 2027. $190M is the total potential value.
Sources: NASA (19 Sep 2025)
Blue Ghost Mission 2 (+ Lunar Pathfinder, LuSEE-Night, Rashid 2)
Far-side lander. ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder relay and the UAE’s Rashid 2 rover ride with it, so their dates follow this mission.
Sources: Aerospace America (AIAA) (15 Sep 2026) · NASA Science (updated 6 May 2026) · Firefly Aerospace (22 May 2025) · Dubai Media Office (MBRSC) (3 Nov 2025)
Artemis IV — first crewed landing since 1972
Four crew; two descend near the lunar south pole. NASA: "Lander readiness will determine which provider will safely carry them to the surface" — SpaceX Starship HLS or Blue Origin Blue Moon. SpaceX’s existing contract covered the former Artemis III and IV landings.
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (updated 16 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
NASA: "future missions about once per year thereafter". Before the February 2026 restructure it was assigned Blue Moon Mk2 with a launch "no later than March 2030" (OIG).
Sources: NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Four CLPS deliveries awarded 30 Jun 2026
Astrobotic $297.9M for two, Firefly $144.2M, Intuitive Machines $148.3M. Common payloads: SCALPSS, a laser retroreflector and the LETS radiation spectrometer.
Sources: NASA (30 Jun 2026) · Via Satellite (30 Jun 2026)
Four drones to scout Artemis landing sites.
Sources: NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026)
Artemis IV: first crewed landing since 1972
Lander not yet designated — "lander readiness will determine which provider". OIG: both providers face challenges that could further affect delivery schedules for a 2028 landing.
Sources: NASA (RELEASE 26-022) (27 Feb 2026) · NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · NASA (updated 16 Mar 2026) · NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Artemis V: second landing
Sources: NASA ESDMD (3 Mar 2026) · U.S. GAO (GAO-26-108556) (23 Jul 2026)
Lunar terrain vehicles delivered to the south pole
Sources: NASA (release 26-046) (26 May 2026)
Moon Base Phase 2: power, communications, JAXA pressurised rover
Phase plan, not a hardware schedule
Sources: SpaceQ (24 Mar 2026)
Blue Moon Mk2 uncrewed demonstration (with cryogenic propellant transfer)
A pre-restructure OIG projection.
Sources: NASA Office of Inspector General (IG-26-004) (10 Mar 2026)
Fission surface reactor ready for launch
Directive: readiness to launch by Q1 FY2030 (Oct–Dec 2029). EO 14369: "a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030". No prime vendor award found as of September 2026.
Sources: NASA (Acting Administrator directive) (4 Aug 2025) · The White House (Executive Order 14369) (18 Dec 2025)
EO goal: initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost
Policy goal; no definition of continuous crewing
Sources: The White House (Executive Order 14369) (18 Dec 2025) · NASA (updated 26 Mar 2026)
Moon Base Phase 3: long-duration human presence
ASI multi-purpose habitats and a CSA lunar utility vehicle. There is no official date for continuous occupation.
Sources: SpaceQ (24 Mar 2026) · The Planetary Society (Mar 2026)