Black Card
NASA renamed the Moon landing mission to a practice mission in Earth orbit, because ___________.
Cards Against Artemis™
Dossier 02 of 10
Reclassified
Artemis III:
The Practice Run.
The mission formerly known as "first Moon landing since 1972" has been reclassified as "practice docking in parking orbit." The Moon has been notified of the schedule change.
§ 1 — Mission Reclassification Notice
The Mission Formerly Known as "Moon Landing" Has Been Reclassified.
Artemis III was originally planned as the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. That is 54 years. The Moon landing was supposed to happen in 2024. Then 2025. Then 2026. Then 2027. Then NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced in late February 2026 that Artemis III would not be landing on the Moon at all.1
Instead, Artemis III will launch in mid-2027 to low Earth orbit to practice rendezvous and docking with one or both Human Landing System vehicles — SpaceX's Starship HLS and Blue Origin's Blue Moon. It will also test the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), the new lunar spacesuit. This is essentially an Apollo 9-style shakedown mission.2
The mission that was supposed to be the first Moon landing in over half a century has been renamed, rescheduled, and redefined more times than your fantasy football team. It went from Moon landing → delayed to 2026 → delayed to 2027 → delayed to 2028 → reclassified as a completely different mission. The Moon landing is now Artemis IV's problem.
The Rendezvous Problem
Artemis III will practice docking an Orion capsule (3.3 meters wide) with a Starship HLS in low Earth orbit. Starship HLS is 50 meters tall. This is the space equivalent of parallel parking a kayak next to a cruise ship.
The Moon was not available for comment. It had been waiting since 1972.
NASA's official announcement used the phrase "mission reclassification." This is government for "we changed the whole plan."
Apollo 9 was a 1969 Earth orbit test mission that proved the Lunar Module worked before Apollo 11 used it on the Moon.
§ Play a Card
Your Turn.
Tap a white card to fill the blank. Click a filled blank to clear it.
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White Card
Played
“Someone forgot to order the spacesuit in time.”
Cards Against Artemis™
White Card
Played
“The dress rehearsal was so good they decided to skip the show.”
Cards Against Artemis™
White Card
Played
“Orbital mechanics, probably.”
Cards Against Artemis™