NASA has accelerated the implementation of the Artemis lunar program. This was announced by Jared Isaacman, head of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
"We are accelerating the Artemis program. In fact, the rocket for the Artemis-3 mission is being built right now in the vertical assembly building. And after this flight, we will return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon in 2028," he said during an event at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
It is worth noting that at the end of May, the New Glenn launch vehicle from Blue Origin, which is to participate in the Artemis-3 mission, exploded during tests at Cape Canaveral. The company stated that it will provide NASA with a new rocket in 2027.
The Artemis-3 crew is expected to be aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will be launched into low Earth orbit by the SLS launch vehicle. After that, Orion will dock and undock with the Blue Origin vehicle, and then with SpaceX's Starship. After the mission is completed, the crew will return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The mission will last two weeks.
