Human Landing System (HLS)¶
Summary. The commercial lander that carries crew between a vehicle in lunar orbit (Orion or Gateway) and the lunar surface, and serves as their surface habitat during a stay. It is a Transportation Systems element in the Human Lunar Return and Foundational Exploration segments (ADD Rev C, p. 55). Rev C plans two crew at first, then an "integrated lander configuration" for up to four, and its header image shows the two commercial systems, SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon. Since Rev C, Artemis III has become an Earth-orbit test of the lander with crew.
All page numbers are ADD Rev C unless noted.
NASA's description¶
"The Human Landing System (HLS) transports crew members, support payloads, cargo, and logistics between a crew staging vehicle orbiting the Moon (e.g., Orion or Gateway) and the lunar surface. On the lunar surface, HLS offers a habitable volume, consumables, and other features that enable crew surface stays and the execution of lunar surface EVAs. HLS also accommodates utilization payloads inside the cabin and attached to its exterior. Specific HLS capabilities depend on the design implementation approach of its commercial provider.
The initial HLS configuration for the Human Lunar Return segment supports two crew and operates between Orion in NRHO and a landing site in lunar South Pole region. This configuration also delivers cargo and support logistics to NRHO from Earth prior to the crewed phase of the mission.
During the Foundational Exploration segment, the HLS integrated lander configuration supports a crew of up to four, enabling missions to leverage additional habitable surface assets. Segment missions could include landing at non-polar sites and operating for extended durations in the lunar South Pole region. The integrated lander configuration's improved performance increases up and down mass to and from the lunar surface and darkness survivability." (p. 55)
At a glance¶
From the element one-pager (p. 55).
| ADD section | 2.3.5 (p. 55) |
| Implementing program | Human Landing System Program; printed beneath: Moon to Mars Program Office |
| Functional mappings | Appendix B, B.3.5 (B.3.5.1 in the Human Lunar Return table, p. 26) |
| Segments | Human Lunar Return, Foundational Exploration |
| Sub-architecture | Transportation Systems |
| Header image | "Renderings of the two commercial systems for the Human Landing System: the SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin Blue Moon lander. (Credit: SpaceX/Blue Origin)" |
The Human Landing System Program is also printed as the implementing program for the Human-Class Delivery Lander, the Initial Surface Habitat and the Lunar Surface Cargo Lander (pp. 56, 57, 59).
Two configurations¶
| Human Lunar Return | Foundational Exploration | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | "initial HLS configuration" | "HLS integrated lander configuration" |
| Crew | two | "up to four" |
| Route | "between Orion in NRHO and a landing site in lunar South Pole region" | non-polar sites possible; "extended durations in the lunar South Pole region" |
| Other | "delivers cargo and support logistics to NRHO from Earth prior to the crewed phase of the mission" | "increases up and down mass to and from the lunar surface and darkness survivability" |
All from p. 55.
In the February 2025 workshop briefing¶
The Moon to Mars Program Office's February 2025 workshop deck, ten months before Rev C, assigns a lander to Artemis III, IV and V as then planned (Program Office updates, slides 8, 10 and 12):
- Artemis III: "Starship human landing system", "Orion to human landing system direct mission including crew docking activity", "Use of Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO)", "Four astronauts to lunar orbit", "Two astronauts to lunar surface" (slide 8)
- Artemis IV: "SpaceX Sustaining Starship HLS", with "Crew transfer from Orion to human landing system (HLS) via Gateway" (slide 10)
- Artemis V: "Blue Moon human landing system", "Use of second lunar lander design" (slide 12)
Progress photos show a "Spacesuit Test of Starship HLS", Starship's sixth test flight (21 November 2024) and an artist's concept of Blue Moon (slides 9, 13; source page).
Against Rev C (the wiki's comparison). The Artemis III entry fits Rev C's first configuration: two crew, "between Orion in NRHO and a landing site in lunar South Pole region" (p. 55). Rev C's header image shows both landers but assigns no provider to any mission, and doesn't use the name "Sustaining Starship". The newer plan is under Changes since Rev C.
In the February 2024 workshop briefing¶
The Program Office's deck a year earlier assigns the same landers, with the provider named on Artemis III as well: "SpaceX Starship human landing system" (Artemis III), "SpaceX Sustaining Starship HLS" (Artemis IV), "Blue Moon human landing system" (Artemis V) (slides 12, 16, 18). Its Artemis III milestone chart, "Rev. H - As of 2/15/2024", has a row "HLS Uncrewed Mission Milestones": "HLS - Starship/Super Heavy Flight Test Complete" (checked), "Propellant Transfer Flight Test Complete", "Long Duration Flight Test Complete", "LC-39A Updates", "HLS Uncrewed Lunar Landing Demo Launch Complete", "Science Instrument(s) Delivery for HLS Integration"; and among Artemis III's "New milestones", "HLS Lunar Lander Launch" and "HLS Lunar Orbit Checkout Review (LOCR) Mission Ready" (slide 13, image; source page). Photos show "Starship Human Landing System elevator astronaut testing" and Starship's second integrated flight test (slide 14).
Against Rev C (the wiki's comparison). No other source the wiki holds mentions an uncrewed HLS landing demonstration or a propellant transfer flight test (searched); Rev C's one-pager names neither (p. 55).
Functions (ADD Appendix B.3)¶
B.3.5 maps 21 functions in Human Lunar Return (B.3.5.1, pp. 154–155) and 28 in Foundational Exploration (B.3.5.2, pp. 155–156). The B.3.5.1 number is the one the Human Lunar Return table prints (p. 26). Titles are the ADD's. The last column is the wiki's join with the Users Guide's Phase 1 list (Phase 1 functional gaps).
| ID | Function | HLR | FE | Moon Base Phase 1 functional gap? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN-T-102 L | Transport crew from cislunar space to lunar surface sites in the south pole region | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-103 L | Transport crew from cislunar space to distributed sites outside of the south pole region on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-T-104 L | Transport crew from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-106 L | Rendezvous, proximity operations, mating and unmating of assets in cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-108 L | Enable crew habitation during transit from cislunar space to lunar surface sites in the south pole region | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-109 L | Enable crew habitation during transit from cislunar space to distributed sites outside of the south pole region on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-T-110 L | Enable crew habitation during transit from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-201 L | Transport a limited amount of cargo (100s of kg) from Earth to south pole region sites on the lunar surface | ✓ | ✓ | yes, transportation (cargo) group |
| FN-T-203 L | Transport a limited amount of cargo (100s of kg) from Earth to distributed sites outside of the south pole region on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-T-209 L | Transport a small amount of cargo (10s of kg) from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-210 L | Transport a large amount of cargo (100s of kg) from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-304 L | Provide resources to condition refrigerated sample containers during transit from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ||
| FN-T-305 L | Provide resources to condition frozen sample containers during transit from the lunar surface to cislunar space | ✓ | ||
| FN-T-401 L | Provide precision landing for crew transport to the lunar surface | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-T-403 L | Enable landing on the lunar surface under all lighting conditions | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-H-101 L | Enable a pressurized, habitable environment on the lunar surface for short durations (days to weeks) | ✓ | yes, habitation group | |
| FN-H-103 L | Enable a pressurized, habitable environment in cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-L-202 L | Transfer pressurized cargo into habitable assets in cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-L-301 L | Manage waste from habitable asset(s) on the lunar surface | ✓ | yes, habitation group | |
| FN-L-302 L | Manage waste from habitable asset(s) in cislunar space | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-P-305 L | Provide bi-directional power exchange capability | ✓ | ||
| FN-M-202 L | Enable maintaining and servicing of the EVA system in a habitable environment | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-M-203 L | Ingress/egress from habitable asset(s) to lunar surface vacuum | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-M-401 L | Unload a limited amount of cargo (100s of kg) on the lunar surface | ✓ | ✓ | yes, robotics group |
| FN-D-101 L | Collect, store, and locally distribute data on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-D-102 L | Collect, store, and locally distribute data in cislunar space | ✓ | ||
| FN-D-105 L | Provide data capabilities, including protection for communication, and interface to support crew medical care on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-U-102 L | Capture imagery on the lunar surface | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FN-U-401 L | Stow collected unconditioned samples on exploration assets while on the lunar surface, while maintaining scientific integrity of the samples | ✓ | ||
| FN-U-405 L | Stow refrigerated samples during transport from the Lunar Surface to cislunar space, while maintaining scientific integrity of samples | ✓ | ||
| FN-U-414 L | Provide resources to condition refrigerated sample containers on the lunar surface | ✓ | ||
| FN-U-415 L | Provide resources to condition frozen sample containers on the lunar surface | ✓ |
What the two segments show. Four HLR functions are not in the FE table: surface habitation (FN-H-101 L), surface waste (FN-L-301 L), stowing samples (FN-U-401 L) and refrigerated conditioning (FN-U-414 L). In FE the ADD gives short-duration habitation to the Initial Surface Habitat and the Pressurized Rover. Sample stowage goes to those two and the LTV, and refrigerated conditioning to the habitat. Surface waste is listed as unallocated (B.5, p. 170). FE adds crew and cargo transport to sites outside the South Pole region, sample conditioning and stowage from the surface to cislunar space, bi-directional power exchange, and data functions.
Against the lunar spreadsheet.
- HLR. The sheet's HLR column has 20: all of the above except FN-U-414 L, which isn't among its 58 HLR functions.
- FE. The FE+ column has 29: the ADD's 28 plus FN-U-414 L. The sheet keeps HLS on refrigerated conditioning in FE; the ADD moves it to HLR only.
- The rest agrees. Both drop FN-H-101 L, FN-L-301 L and FN-U-401 L between the segments (Lunar function allocation; open question 43).
Gaps that mention it¶
None by name. No technology or data gap names the HLS (search of both spreadsheets). Landing gaps that bear on any lander are listed on Transportation Systems.
Changes since Rev C¶
From NASA's updated plan, announced February 2026 (Going back to the Moon, pp. 1–2):
- Test in Earth orbit first. Artemis III becomes a "Human landing system & EVA suit test mission in Earth orbit — 2027": "A risk‑reduction mission in 2027 (Artemis III) to evaluate crew‑lander interfaces in Earth orbit — an Apollo 9‑style 'test before you land' step". The old plan "jumps directly from a lunar flyby to a lunar landing without an intermediate, in-space, test of the integrated operations in between the crew module and lander".
- First landing moves to Artemis IV, "early 2028", and Artemis V is an "Additional astronaut landing — targeting late 2028". Rev C has Artemis III landing crew (p. 24; open question 22).
- New landing pathways from Artemis VI. NASA is "Pursuing dual, lower-cost landing pathways and seeking industry-proposed architectures capable of evolving to enable more frequent and economical mission, beginning with Artemis VI".
The fact sheet doesn't say whether the HLS still operates from NRHO or which providers fly which missions.
From the Ignition material and NASA's Artemis page:
- Artemis III is a "Demonstration mission in low Earth orbit, planned for 2027, to evaluate one or both commercial human landing systems developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin", testing "rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and the commercial lander systems" (Artemis page, "Missions").
- Commercial human transport after Artemis V. "Looking beyond Artemis V", NASA will "incorporate more commercially procured and reusable hardware", "initially targeting landings every six months" (Ignition release, "Going back to the Moon"). An RFI, "Enabling Commercial Lunar Transportation to Support a Sustained Lunar Base", asks for "commercial human lunar transportation services capable of supporting a permanent, continuously crewed U.S. lunar base". Proposed systems "must be capable of rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking with existing human landing system (HLS) providers" and show "a credible evolution path to meet future Artemis architecture needs" (Ignition page). Whether these services would be a new element or part of the HLS isn't said.
- Cargo-capable HLS in Moon Base Phase Three. "As cargo‑capable human landing systems (HLS) come online, NASA will deliver heavier infrastructure needed for a continuous human foothold on the Moon" (Ignition release, "Building the Moon Base"). In Rev C, large cargo is the role of the Human-Class Delivery Lander, which the Human Landing System Program implements, and a 2024 paper calls HDLs the HLS program's "cargo lander variants" (Lunar Surface Cargo, p. 2). The release doesn't name the HDL, so the wiki doesn't equate the two.
From the Ignition fact sheets and ESDMD's Ignition deck (briefed at Ignition, March 2026):
- Accelerated landers. "NASA has undertaken an effort to work with both HLS providers to accelerate lander development", including "modifications to requirements, hardware, mission definition, and capabilities"; "The accelerated landers will be used for the Artemis III demonstration and initial lunar landings". Status: "SpaceX Starship Flight 12 (version 3) in April"; "Blue Origin Mark 1 lander in 2026" (slide 11). For the first landing, "Simplifying mission profiles to accelerate initial landing and surface capability" (slide 17).
- Artemis III, notional plan (slide 12): HLS "Starship AND/OR Blue Moon"; "Demonstrate Orion rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking with lander(s) in Earth orbit"; "Multiple docking/undocking events"; a supporting "Lander Propellant Transfer and Aggregation Demonstration in Earth Orbit". The Ignition fact sheet: "dock with one or both lunar landing systems" (Ignition fact sheet, p. 1).
- The 2028 first crewed landing, notional plan (slide 18): "SpaceX/Blue Origin", HLS "Starship / Blue Moon", four crew with two on the surface, "SOUTH POLE (84-90 deg)", "≤ 21 DAYS" in total, lunar operations "7 DAYS / 6 DAYS" (the pair not labeled by lander). Rev C's HLS description has two crew to the surface at first, which matches.
- Two pathways beyond Artemis V. "We are signaling demand and dropping an RFI for two pathways for crewed missions to the moon beyond Artemis V" (slide 21) (Ignition deck 1). The Building the Moon Base fact sheet: "Increasing the demand for crew and heavy-cargo beyond Artemis V, with redundant pathways to the Moon and leveraging Human Landing System and HDL Programs" (Building the Moon Base fact sheet, p. 2). It lists "HDL Programs" beside the HLS, unexpanded and in no phase; reading it as the ADD's Human-Class Delivery Lander is the wiki's match by acronym. See Human-Class Delivery Lander.
From NASA's articles of May to September 2026:
- Artemis III's landers are "pathfinders". The Earth-orbit test brings together "SLS carrying Orion and its crew, SpaceX's Starship human landing system pathfinder, and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 human landing system pathfinder"; "astronauts could potentially enter at least one lander test article", and the mission "will inform lander rendezvous and habitation concepts". Low Earth orbit gives "more launch opportunities for each element as compared to a lunar mission". Still to decide: "options to evaluate Axiom's AxEMU spacesuit lander interfaces", duration and science; NASA asked industry for ground communications "since the Deep Space Network will not be used" (Artemis III plans, May 2026). Ignition deck 1 also names "the Blue Moon MK2 crew lander"; the Mark 1 flies CLPS deliveries (Missions and assets).
- Plume-surface interaction tests. Langley's vacuum-sphere tests of engine plumes on regolith simulant will give data "critical in developing and validating models to predict the effects of plume-surface interaction for landing on the Moon and even Mars, ensuring mission success for the human landing systems", said an engineer of the "Human Landing Systems plume and aero environments team" (plume tests article, Aug 2026; DN-017 L).
- A lander communications challenge. The HLS Program Office, now in HSMD, sponsors the 2027 Human Lander Challenge for students, on "lunar communications for landers and surface operations that can be implemented within three to five years" (lander communications challenge, Sep 2026).
Moon Base relevance¶
Phase Three, per the Ignition release: "As cargo‑capable human landing systems (HLS) come online, NASA will deliver heavier infrastructure needed for a continuous human foothold on the Moon, marking the transition from periodic expeditions to a permanent lunar base" (Ignition release, "Building the Moon Base"). The release gives no phase dates. NASA's request for commercial human lunar transport, which must dock with "existing human landing system (HLS) providers", is for "a permanent, continuously crewed U.S. lunar base" (Ignition page; above).
Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK1 "Endurance", a Phase One Moon Base mission, is a CLPS delivery (Moon Base Phases, "Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1"). The Administrator's Moon Base speech of 26 May 2026 ties that mission, Moon Base I, to the HLS: its "mission objective is to demonstrate critical capabilities that reduce risk for Human Landing System missions", and it is "especially important because of the role Blue Origin plays in the Artemis program" (Moon Base announcement speech). That makes the MK1 a risk-reduction mission for HLS missions; no source says the MK1 lander is part of the HLS element, and the speech doesn't place the HLS itself in a phase.
The Users Guide places a "First crewed Moon Base mission" in Phase 1 without naming the mission or the lander (Users Guide, p. 4; open question 9). Ignition deck 2's Phase 1 render labels a "Human Landing System" among its assets, beside CLPS, VIPER and the LTVs, with no specification or mission (Ignition deck 2, slide 10). Taking that label to be this element is the wiki's match by name.
Shared function IDs (the wiki's join). Four of the HLS's ADD functions are on the Users Guide's list of Phase 1 functional gaps (above):
- In both segments: FN-T-201 L (cargo to the South Pole) and FN-M-401 L (unloading 100s of kg)
- In Human Lunar Return only: FN-H-101 L (short-duration surface habitation) and FN-L-301 L (surface waste)
The ADD's B.5 lists FN-L-301 L as unallocated in Foundational Exploration (UC-H-101 L, UC-H-102 L, UC-L-201 L; pp. 170, 173). The guide doesn't say which half of its definition applies to any of the four (open question 65).
Related pages¶
Elements · Transportation Systems · Orion Spacecraft · Gateway · Human-Class Delivery Lander · Exploration EVA System · Human Lunar Return
Sources¶
ADD Rev C, pp. 24, 26, 55–57, 59, 154–156, 170, 173 · Going back to the Moon, pp. 1–2 · Users Guide, pp. 4, 8–10 · Moon Base Phases · Lunar objective decomposition, allocation sheets · Artemis page · Ignition release · Ignition page · Lunar Surface Cargo, p. 2 · Program Office updates, February 2025, slides 8–10, 12–13 · Artemis III plans, May 2026 · Plume tests, Aug 2026 · Lander communications challenge, Sep 2026 · Moon Base announcement speech, 26 May 2026