NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-adds-mission-to-artemis-lunar-program-updates-architecture/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nn202608 On Friday, NASA announced an increased cadence of missions under the Artemis program to achieve the national objective of returning American astronauts to the Moon and establishing an enduring presence. This includes standardizing vehicle configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one lunar surface landing every year thereafter. As teams prepare to launch Artemis II in the weeks ahead, the Artemis III mission, now in 2027, will be designed to test out systems and operational capabilities in low Earth orbit to prepare for an Artemis IV landing in 2028. This new mission will endeavor to include a rendezvous and docking with one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, in-space tests of the docked vehicles, integrated checkout of life support, communications, and propulsion systems, as well as tests of the new Extravehicular Activity (xEVA) suits. “NASA must standardize its approach, increase flight rate safely, and execute on the President’s national space policy. With credible competition from our greatest geopolitical adversary increasing by the day, we need to move faster, eliminate delays, and achieve our objectives,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Standardizing vehicle configuration, increasing flight rate, and progressing through objectives in a logical, phased approach is how we achieved the near-impossible in 1969, and it is how we will do it again.”