On Tuesday, NASA announced the crew for the Artemis III mission, which is scheduled to be flown no earlier than summer 2027. As part of the announcement, space agency officials also discussed plans for the crew to dock with both a Blue Origin lander and a SpaceX Starship lander during the spaceflight in low-Earth orbit.
Ars Technica sat down with Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager, to answer some of these questions. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
SLS Rocket Status
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and launch pad are looking good after the Artemis II mission. The mobile launcher is in great shape after the launch, with modifications done between Artemis I and II being highly successful. The boosters have arrived at the rotation processing surge facility and are being prepped for stacking. However, there were some areas of damage on the mobile launcher that need to be repaired before starting the stacking process.
Parsons expects the rocket to be stacked in July, with a wet dress rehearsal planned to test the cryogenic seals. The SLS rocket will not have an ICPS upper stage because it doesn’t need the performance to reach low-Earth orbit. Instead, a second-stage simulator called a spacer will be used.
Blue Origin Lander Details
The Blue Origin lander for Artemis III is being referred to as a ‘lander test article.’ This means it’s an intermediate version between the Mk 1 and Mk 2 landers. The test article will have the same lunar crew module, avionics, and flight software as the final lander. However, it won’t have cryogenics or BE-7 engines, instead using storable propellants and a reaction control system.
Parsons mentioned that the Blue Origin lander can be launched on the existing 7×2 variant of the New Glenn rocket. There is confidence in New Glenn being ready to launch this vehicle next year, despite a recent pad explosion. However, there is a decision point at which NASA will have to make a go-or-no-go call on whether to fly the Artemis III test lander on New Glenn or consider other rockets.
SpaceX Starship Lander
The article does not provide any specific details about the SpaceX Starship lander. However, it’s worth noting that the crew for the Artemis III mission will dock with both a Blue Origin lander and a SpaceX Starship lander during the spaceflight in low-Earth orbit.
Conclusion
NASA officials are confident that the SLS rocket and lunar landers will be ready for the Artemis III mission. The Blue Origin lander test article is an intermediate version between the Mk 1 and Mk 2 landers, while the SpaceX Starship lander details remain unclear. With a wet dress rehearsal planned for the SLS rocket and a spacer being used as a second-stage simulator, NASA is taking steps to ensure a successful mission.
Source: Original article