“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” said Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, when humans first walked on the Moon. Decades later, that same spirit of curiosity continues to shape how we view space. From the legacy of Apollo to today’s Artemis program under NASA, we’re seeing a new chapter unfold, with missions like Artemis II bringing us closer again to the Moon. The goal is simple but ambitious: return humans to the lunar surface and build toward a longer stay by 2028. More missions are planned for the upcoming years, with improvements continually being made to the Orion spacecraft. Here is the roadmap for what has happened so far and what comes next for mankind in space:

Artemis I and II

Back in late 2022, under the Artemis I mission, NASA sent an unmanned Orion spacecraft around the Moon to make sure the SLS rocket actually worked, and everything went smoothly. During this mission, the Orion spacecraft reached its farthest distance from Earth, setting a record at 268,543 miles.

This is a live view of the Earth from a distance of 15,000 miles away.

The @NASA_Orion spacecraft is mere hours away from arriving home. #Artemis pic.twitter.com/jyq7Hnv0Zp

— NASA (@NASA) December 11, 2022

Almost four years later, NASA launched the next mission with Artemis II, now with astronauts on board. It is the first manned space flight around the moon in more than 50 years.

The crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency — completed their mission on April 10, 2026, after spending 10 days looping around the Moon.

Artemis II Moon mission complete!
✅✅✅✅✅✅

– Space Launch System rocket launched crew into space
– Orion spacecraft kept astronauts safe
– Flew around the Moon, observed its far side
– New human spaceflight distance record
– Crew safely returned to Earth
– Inspired the WORLD pic.twitter.com/yc9TMRj97a

— NASA (@NASA) April 12, 2026

Now, NASA is looking further ahead with more Artemis missions in the pipeline.

Artemis III (2027)

NASA added this next mission in mid-2027 to test one or both commercial landers. It’ll stay in Earth’s orbit to practice rendezvous and docking with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers. Think of this mission as a bit like a rehearsal for the actual landing targeted for 2028.

We have increased the cadence of Artemis missions.

In 2027, the Artemis III mission will test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin in low Earth orbit. In 2028, Artemis IV will become the first Artemis lunar landing. pic.twitter.com/X4rwPFK2nI

— NASA (@NASA) March 3, 2026

Artemis IV (early 2028)

Early 2028 is the target for the first lunar landing in over 50 years. It will be the second lunar landing under the program. This mission also marks a change in the tech: they’re standardizing the SLS rocket to make it more efficient for the long haul.

NASA will increase the cadence of the Artemis missions to successfully return humans to the Moon and sustain a lunar presence.

Artemis III will test systems in low Earth orbit to prepare for an Artemis IV Moon landing in 2028. https://t.co/TovtCfQXzf pic.twitter.com/WFrTdacerY

— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2026

Artemis V (late 2028)

Artemis V is planned to be the fourth crewed mission and the second lunar landing. This mission is extra exciting for all the science geeks out there since it’s when we actually start building a permanent base on the lunar surface. After this one, NASA plans to launch missions at least once a year.

To confirm, we do not have a secret Moon base. With our #Artemis program, we’ll work with our partners to establish a long-term presence on the Moon at the lunar South Pole by the end of the decade.

— NASA (@NASA) October 31, 2020

The ultimate goal

By standardizing rockets and shifting to a more regular, almost yearly missions, NASA is trying to make the Moon feel less like a once-in-a-lifetime destination and more like a place we actually go back to. The work being done at the lunar South Pole is more than just exploration—it’s also a long rehearsal for something even bigger: sending humans to Mars. NASA has yet to announce more details on next crew assignments and specific tech updates, but for now, the path to the stars is looking a lot busier.

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