Moon

NASA’s 23 October plan has Orion dock first with a Blue Moon test article, with crew entry, and then with a separately launched Starship test article, with the crew staying in Orion. The planned 14-day mission in 2027 carries Bresnik, Rubio, Douglas and Parmitano. Artemis IV retains the first lunar-landing target in 2028; later missions have their own schedules.

Next: Artemis III is planned for 2027 as a 14-day low Earth orbit demonstration with both Blue Moon and Starship test articles.

last verified 25 Oct 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 02 Oct 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, and Firefly's release of 30 September 2026 restates the no-earlier-than-2027 target; 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 02 Oct 2026 · Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech, restyled

Full record →