Ignition deck 1: "Returning to the Moon"¶
Document: 1-going-back-to-the-moon.pdf, 21 slides. The title slide reads "RETURNING TO THE
MOON", presented by "Dr. Lori Glaze, Acting Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems
Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD)" (slide 1). The Ignition page lists it
as the "Going Back to the Moon" presentation, "Mar 26, 2026, 18.63 MB"; the download is 19,530,572
bytes, which is 18.63 MB (sources/manifest.csv). Slides 7, 12 and 16 print "3/25/26" in a corner.
Text: sources/text/docs/2026-03-1-going-back-to-the-moon.txt; images in
sources/raw/slides/2026-03-1-going-back-to-the-moon/.
Rank. A briefing, not the architecture of record (SCHEMA, "Workshop slides"). Where it says something newer than ADD Rev C, the wiki records it beside the Rev C statement as "briefed at Ignition, March 2026".
Summary. ESDMD's Ignition briefing on the Artemis missions: Apollo's step-by-step build-up applied to Artemis II to V, hardware status for each mission, and notional plans for the 2027 Artemis III Earth-orbit test and the 2028 first crewed landing. It names the standard SLS: Block 1, with the Centaur V replacing the Exploration Upper Stage. It ends with supply-chain measures and an RFI for "two pathways for crewed missions to the moon beyond Artemis V". It says nothing about the Moon Base phases.
A marking in the text layer¶
Every slide's text layer begins "Pre-Decisional --- CUI//SP-EXPT/SP-PROCURE/SP-PROPIN" (slides 1 to 21 in the extracted text). The marking doesn't show in any slide image opened for this page (slides 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 21), so it seems to sit in a layer that doesn't print. NASA posts the deck publicly on its Ignition page. The wiki cites the deck like any other public source (open question 80).
Slides¶
| Slides | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Title (above) |
| 2 | Artemis poster, image only: Artemis II in 2026, III in 2027 (Earth orbit, two landers), "IV, V, VI…" in 2028 with a surface scene of habitats, rovers and landers; caption "Standardized Block 1 configuration" |
| 3 | "Incremental Capability Development": Apollo's "Figure 1-7. - Buildup of Apollo mission capability", Apollo 4 to 11, "Framework used by Apollo to incrementally reduce risk and increase mission success" |
| 4 | The same steps for Artemis: II "Orion Crewed Operations", III "Combined Operations Lander Integrated Checkout", IV "Lunar Surface Operations", V "Extended Lunar Surface Operations". "Same philosophy is applied to the Artemis mission manifest" |
| 5, 7 | Artemis II divider; Artemis II mission profile (image), "First Crewed Test Flight to the Moon Since Apollo", with a 17-step proximity-operations demonstration |
| 6 | Artemis II vehicle photos |
| 8–12 | Artemis III (2027): divider (image only); SLS, Orion and HLS status; notional mission plan (below) |
| 13–18 | Artemis IV (2028): divider (image only); SLS and Orion status; SLS upper stage; EVA suits; HLS; notional plan for the first crewed landing (below) |
| 19–20 | Artemis V (2028): divider (image only); hardware status photos |
| 21 | Summary |
What it says¶
The standard SLS (slides 2, 9, 15, 18)¶
- Upper stage (slide 15): "NASA is replacing the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) with the Centaur V – a proven capability that enables mission repeatability". "The first Centaur V mission may be Artemis IV or Artemis V". "A new Stage Adapter will be required". "SLS, EGS, Orion, and ULA are actively working the implementation of this new stage".
- Mobile launcher (slide 15): "Changes to Mobile Launcher 1 to relocate umbilicals is also under assessment."
- Configuration: "Standardized Block 1 configuration" (slide 2 caption). Artemis III: "Block 1, TBD: ICPS OR spacer" (slide 12). The 2028 landing: "Block 1 Crewed (ICPS or Centaur V)" (slide 18). Artemis III's ICPS is "ready (if required)" (slide 9).
The deck doesn't mention Block 1B or Mobile Launcher 2. See SLS, EGS and open question 25.
Artemis III, 2027: Earth orbit (slides 11, 12)¶
- Landers (slide 11): "SpaceX Starship Flight 12 (version 3) in April"; "Blue Origin Mark 1 lander in 2026". "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."
- "Notional Plan for 2027 Artemis III Earth Orbit Mission" (slide 12, read from the image). Goal:
"Buy down as much risk as possible prior to crewed lunar landing mission":
- "Demonstrate multi-launch campaign"; "Test xEVA hardware on orbit"
- "Demonstrate Orion rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking with lander(s) in Earth orbit"
- "Demonstrate critical Human Landing Systems and vehicle performance in Earth orbit"
- "Demonstrate crewed docked operations in Earth orbit"; "Demonstrate Orion Permeable Heatshield"
- "Demonstrate increasing mission cadence with prompt turnaround of pad and ground systems"
| Field | Slide 12 |
|---|---|
| Total crew | "≤ 4 (TBD)" |
| SLS | "Block 1, TBD: ICPS OR spacer" |
| Orion | "Crewed, RPODU capable" |
| HLS | "Starship AND/OR Blue Moon" |
| xEVA | "TBD: Axiom AxEMU" |
| Orion–HLS RPOD | "Earth orbit" |
| Docking | "Multiple docking/undocking events" |
| Total mission duration | "≤ 21 DAYS (Orion, mission extension with lander augmentation TBD)" |
| Orion landing | "San Diego FLETA HOT" |
| Supporting missions | "Lander Propellant Transfer and Aggregation Demonstration in Earth Orbit" |
The 2028 first crewed landing (slides 17, 18)¶
- HLS (slide 17): "Simplifying mission profiles to accelerate initial landing and surface capability."
- "Notional Plan for 2028 Initial Crewed Landing Mission – SpaceX/Blue Origin" (slide 18, read from the image). Goals: "Demonstrate crewed lunar landing near the lunar South Pole", "Demonstrate multi-launch campaign", "Collect lunar surface samples", "Demonstrate xEVA suits on the lunar surface".
| Field | Slide 18 |
|---|---|
| Total crew | 4 |
| Lunar surface crew | 2 |
| SLS | "Block 1 Crewed (ICPS or Centaur V)" |
| Orion | "Crewed, RPODU Capable" |
| HLS | "Starship / Blue Moon" |
| xEVA | "Axiom xEMU" |
| Landing region | "SOUTH POLE (84-90 deg)" |
| # EVAs | "2 to 4 EVAs / 1 to 2 EVAs" |
| Total mission duration | "≤ 21 DAYS" |
| Lunar ops (includes surface stay) | "7 DAYS / 6 DAYS" |
The slide doesn't say which value of each pair belongs to which lander; the title names SpaceX first. The slide's title says "2028 Initial Crewed Landing"; it doesn't name the Artemis mission, though it follows the Artemis IV divider (slide 13).
EVA suits (slide 16)¶
"Axiom suit checkout on A-III or ISS"; "Suits to be delivered to HLS provider for integration"; "NASA will provide direct support at Axiom facilities and suppliers"; "NASA also providing test facilities and sub 1g aircraft test platforms and personnel." See Exploration EVA System.
Summary (slide 21)¶
- "Artemis III standardizes the architecture and reduces risk"
- "NASA is prepared to advocate for increased supply chain criticality and build components ourselves if necessary"
- "NASA personnel will be embedded as active, not passive, participants in the supply chain"
- "each CEO/company leader will be briefing the NASA Administrator in next few weeks"
- "We are signaling demand and dropping an RFI for two pathways for crewed missions to the moon beyond Artemis V"
The image adds a banner the text layer lacks: "NASA and our partners are ready and prepared to meet the challenge".
Against ADD Rev C (the wiki's comparison)¶
- Artemis III. Rev C has it land crew (ADD Rev C, p. 24). Here it is an Earth-orbit test, as in the Going back to the Moon fact sheet. Not new; see open question 22.
- Upper stage. Rev C has Block 1B with the Exploration Upper Stage (SLS). The deck replaces the EUS with the Centaur V. New since Rev C.
- Suit name. Slide 12 says "Axiom AxEMU", slide 18 "Axiom xEMU". Rev C's xEVA one-pager has an AxEMU header image (Exploration EVA System). Recorded as printed.
- Gateway appears nowhere in the deck.
- Crew. Four crew, two on the surface, for up to 21 days. Compare the legacy decisions on crew size and stay length on Key definition tasks; the wiki doesn't count this as a change.
Oddities¶
- The text layer's "Pre-Decisional --- CUI" line (above).
- Slide 7 carries a small code "AIIMM–09.10.25" at the foot of its mission-profile graphic; slide 2 a code beginning "NP-2026-03" on its left edge.
- Slides 4 and 18 are partly graphics; their text layer splits labels from values. The tables above follow the images.
Related pages¶
Human Landing System · Space Launch System · Exploration Ground Systems · Orion · Exploration EVA System · Human Lunar Return · Phases · Going back to the Moon fact sheet · Ignition page