Orion spacecraft Artist's conception of the Orion spacecraft orbiting Earth. Part of the Artemis program, Orion is planned to carry astronauts to the Moon in the 2020s. (more) Artemis III United States spaceflight Written by Erik Gregersen Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the... Erik Gregersen Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated June 9, 2026 •History Artemis III, U.S. spaceflight that will launch in 2027 and test lunar landers in Earth orbit in preparation for astronauts to land on the Moon on Artemis IV. Artemis III will be the second crewed mission in the Artemis program after Artemis II flew around the Moon in April 2026. Originally Artemis III was to be the mission that returned astronauts to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972. However,...

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