NASA Confirms 2028 Moon Landing Plan
The agency detailed a new strategy where Orion docks with Starship in Earth orbit, while Blue Origin uses separate rocket launches for its lunar lander.
By Priya Marino ·
NASA outlined a revised strategy for returning astronauts to the Moon on Friday, confirming that a crewed landing is targeted for 2028. The agency provided its most detailed public account of the Artemis program to date, acknowledging major changes to the mission architecture.
The most substantial alteration involves SpaceX. Under the new plan, the Orion spacecraft will dock with the Starship lunar lander in high Earth orbit. The two vehicles will then travel together to the Moon. This shift moves the docking maneuver away from a complex orbit around the lunar surface, a change driven by technical requirements from SpaceX engineers.
SpaceX officials met with NASA in early 2026 to request the removal of the previous docking requirement. The former plan called for Starship to meet Orion in a near-rectilinear halo orbit, which demanded higher energy levels. The cancellation of the Lunar Gateway earlier this year removed the infrastructure that made that specific orbit necessary, allowing NASA to adopt the simpler Earth-based docking method.
Blue Origin’s approach differs from SpaceX’s model. The company’s plan involves four separate launches of the New Glenn rocket. None of these launches will involve refueling one spacecraft from another. The architecture also allows for the Blue Moon lander to meet Orion in low lunar orbit, rather than in Earth orbit.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed confidence in the timeline during the news conference. He stated that the agency has the mandate, resources, and stakeholder support to execute the plan. "This is an achievable path we are on right now," Isaacman said. "We have the mandate, we have the resources, and the support from our stakeholders to be able to execute, and that's what we intend to do."
The agency maintains that Artemis III is scheduled for summer 2027. This mission will serve as a demonstration where Orion docks with both the Blue Moon and Starship vehicles near Earth. Following that test, Artemis IV is set to conduct the first crewed lunar surface landing in 2028. NASA leadership has reviewed every element of the program to help lander companies accelerate their work.
