NASA's Artemis III to test lunar landers in Earth orbit in 2027

NASA says Artemis III, due to launch in summer 2027, will not head to the Moon. Instead, four astronauts will fly to low Earth orbit to dock with prototype lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. The 14-day mission, involving three launches and two dockings, paves the way for Artemis IV's planned 2028 Moon landing, the first since 1972.