Moon

NASA's Artemis II mission launched on 1 April 2026 and returned on 10 April 2026, a crewed lunar flyby lasting 9 days, 1 hour and 32 minutes, the first crewed flight of NASA's deep space systems. NASA's own overview now describes a restructured plan: Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, becomes a low Earth orbit demonstration of one or both commercial landers, while Artemis IV carries the first crewed lunar landing, targeted for early 2028. Artemis V is expected by late 2028, with missions roughly annual thereafter.

Next: Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, a demonstration mission in low Earth orbit to test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin

last verified 22 Aug 2026 · Image: NASA/Joel Kowsky, restyled

Full record →

China's next lunar mission, Chang'e-7, has been postponed. The assembled stack completed vertical transfer to the launching area at Wenchang on 19 August 2026, but on 23 August the China Manned Space Agency announced that, on the principle of prudence, reliability and absolute success, and after comprehensive assessment, the mission does not meet launch conditions and its launch, in Xinhua's English wording, 'cannot take place during the planned window this year'. No reason was detailed and no new date was given. The mission combines orbiting, landing, roving and hopping to survey the environment and resources of the lunar south pole, including permanently shadowed craters.

Next: Launch of Chang'e-7 from Wenchang on the Long March-5 Y14; the agency says the mission cannot fly in this year's planned window and has announced no new date

last verified 29 Aug 2026 · Illustration: YFarmX, generated concept artwork of the mission class, not the actual spacecraft

Full record →

Firefly Aerospace's mission page now states Blue Ghost Mission 2 will launch no earlier than 2027 on a Falcon 9, moved from the earlier late-2026 wording; NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services overview page still lists the mission under 2026, and this record follows the launching company's own date. The mission targets America's first landing on the Moon's far side, near Nassau crater. The Blue Ghost lander carries six international payloads, including NASA's LuSEE-Night radio telescope and the UAE's Rashid Rover 2, while Firefly's Elytra orbiter deploys ESA's Lunar Pathfinder communications relay en route. The mission follows the first Blue Ghost, which completed the first fully successful commercial lunar landing in March 2025.

Next: Launch no earlier than 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, on Firefly's own page; NASA's CLPS overview still lists 2026

last verified 22 Aug 2026 · Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech, restyled

Full record →