SLS · Orion · HLS

The Hardware

Three categories of spacecraft working in concert to carry humans from Earth's surface to the lunar South Pole and back.

Mission Architecture

Launch, Travel, and Land

SLS launches. Orion carries the crew to the Moon. The HLS lands them on the surface.

NASA / Artemis II Preflight, Jan 2026

SLS Block 1

Space Launch System

Super Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle

NASA's most powerful operational rocket, the SLS generates more thrust at liftoff than the legendary Saturn V. Each SLS core stage is powered by four RS-25 engines — refurbished shuttle engines flying a new mission — paired with two five-segment solid rocket boosters that together produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust.

Specifications

Height322 ft (98 m)

Liftoff Thrust8.8 million lbs

vs Saturn V+15% more thrust

Core Stage Engines4 × RS-25D (ex-Shuttle)

Solid Rocket Boosters2 × 5-segment SRBs

Payload to TLI~27 metric tons

Under NASA's 2026 Ignition plan, the in-development Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) is canceled in favor of ULA's proven Centaur V upper stage, reducing cost and schedule risk. The RS-25 engines will eventually transition to fully expendable versions manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne at significantly lower cost per unit.

NASA / Orion External Inspection, Artemis I

Crew Module

Orion Spacecraft

Primary Deep-Space Crew Vehicle

Designed to carry four astronauts to deep space and back, Orion is the most capable crewed spacecraft ever built for beyond-LEO missions. Its European Service Module provides propulsion, power, water, and air for the journey. The Artemis II crew named their Orion capsule "Integrity."

Specifications

Crew Capacity4 astronauts

Endurance (undocked)Up to 21 days

Crew Module BuilderLockheed Martin

Service ModuleAirbus / ESA

Reentry Speed~25,000 mph

SplashdownPacific Ocean

The Orion Crew Module is built by Lockheed Martin. The European Service Module (ESM) is built by Airbus for the European Space Agency — a symbol of transatlantic partnership at the heart of every Artemis mission. Orion's heat shield uses an Avcoat ablator; after erosion patterns discovered on Artemis I, the reentry profile was changed from skip-entry to a steeper direct trajectory.

SpaceX / IFT-5 Starship Ignition

HLS

Human Landing System

Commercial Lunar Landers

To land on the Moon, astronauts transfer from Orion into commercially developed landers in lunar orbit. NASA contracted two competing providers — SpaceX and Blue Origin — to ensure redundancy and cost competition, marking the first time commercial partners will deliver astronauts to another world.

Specifications

Provider 1SpaceX — Starship HLS

Provider 2Blue Origin — Blue Moon Mk2

Landing ZoneLunar South Pole

Surface Duration~1 week (Artemis IV)

Contract TypeFirm-fixed-price (commercial)

First Crewed UseArtemis IV (~2028)

SpaceX's Starship HLS is a modified variant of the Starship vehicle adapted for lunar vacuum with no aerodynamic surfaces. Blue Origin's Blue Moon is a purpose-built lander using liquid hydrogen propulsion. Both providers must demonstrate autonomous docking, propellant management, and verified landing profiles before carrying crew to the surface.

Mission Architecture

How They Work Together

Launch from Earth

SLS Block 1 ignites with 8.8 million pounds of thrust, carrying the Orion spacecraft and crew on a trans-lunar injection trajectory.

Lunar Transit

Orion sustains four astronauts for up to 21 days undocked. The European Service Module provides propulsion, power, water, and air for the journey.

Land on the Moon

In lunar orbit, crew transfers to SpaceX Starship HLS or Blue Origin Blue Moon, descends to the South Pole, and returns to Orion for the trip home.