NASA changes plans for astronauts’ return to the Moon in 2028 / SpaceX and Blue Origin adopt different strategies

NASA has modified its plans for crewed missions aimed at returning Americans to the Moon in 2028. The new strategies, presented on October 23, call for different procedures for SpaceX and Blue Origin, the companies developing the commercial lunar landers.

SpaceX will use the Starship spacecraft to transport the Orion capsule. The lunar lander will rendezvous with Orion in Earth orbit, then propel the combined vehicle toward a low lunar orbit. The company will continue using in-space refueling by launching tanker spacecraft to an orbital depot, but the new configuration should reduce the amount of fuel required and the turnaround time.

Blue Origin will postpone the transfer of fuel between spacecraft for the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander. The vehicle will be sent toward the Moon using three propulsion stages, then rendezvous with Orion in an elliptical polar orbit.

For the 2028 missions, four astronauts will be launched aboard Orion and the SLS rocket. Two will descend to the lunar surface, while the others will remain in the capsule. Before transporting crews, both companies must conduct demonstrations without astronauts. Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, will test the rendezvous and docking of the vehicles in low Earth orbit, without a lunar landing. Neither company is guaranteed the first landing, with NASA set to choose based on progress and safety.