Artemis V

Artemis V is the fifth mission in NASA's Artemis programme and the second planned crewed landing on the Moon, currently targeted for no earlier than 2030. The mission will use the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft to carry four astronauts to lunar orbit, where two will transfer to Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK2 lander for descent to the South Pole. The surface stay is planned for approximately six days, during which the crew will Conduct scientific exploration and resource utilisation investigations in and near permanently shadowed regions.

Unlike Artemis III and IV, which use SpaceX's Starship HLS, Artemis V is the first and currently only mission assigned to Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK2 under its $3.4 billion NASA contract. The mission architecture also includes delivery of ESA's Lunar View habitation and logistics module to the Lunar Gateway station, expanding the Gateway's capabilities for long-duration operations. Before the crewed landing, Blue Origin must Conduct an uncrewed demonstration mission as a contract requirement.

Artemis V's timeline is contingent on multiple upstream milestones: the completion of earlier Artemis missions, the maturation of Gateway, and Blue Moon MK2 passing its uncrewed demo. With Artemis III having been replanned away from a lunar landing in early 2026, and broader programme schedule pressure, the 2030 target for Artemis V is widely regarded as optimistic.