Right now, sitting on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the most powerful rocket ever built for a crewed mission is waiting for its moment. The Space Launch System — taller than the Statue of Liberty, louder than a nuclear explosion, and carrying four human beings toward the Moon for the first time in over 50 years — is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 1, 2026. The mission is called Artemis II. And it belongs to the United States government.
But ownership of Artemis is not as simple as saying “NASA owns it.” The full story involves a $93 billion national investment, five of the biggest aerospace companies in America, 61 countries bound by international agreements, a dramatic budget battle in Washington, and a fundamental reshaping of how space exploration gets done in the 21st century.
Here is everything you need to know — explained clearly, with every important detail verified and current as of March 2026.
What Is Artemis?
People may know Artemis as NASA’s return-to-the-Moon program. However, it is much more than a rerun of Project Apollo. While the destination is the same, the goals are more ambitious. NASA plans to create a permanent base on the lunar south pole to support scientific research and study the long-term effects of living and working on the surface of another world. The lessons learned, technologies tested, and scientific discoveries made during the Artemis missions are intended to build toward NASA’s future endeavors in space — including human exploration of Mars.
The Artemis program is organized around a series of missions of increasing complexity, intended to be spaced about a year apart. NASA and its partners have planned missions Artemis I through Artemis V, with additional missions proposed.
The name itself carries meaning. The program borrows its name from the goddess of the hunt. In Greek mythology, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the twin sister of Apollo. Choosing Apollo’s twin sister as the name for NASA’s second human lunar exploration program emphasizes how this endeavor is related to — but unique from — the Apollo Program.
Who Owns the Artemis Program?
The direct answer is this: Artemis is owned, funded, and led by NASA — the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — an independent agency of the United States federal government.
While NASA is leading the Artemis missions, international partnerships will play a key role in achieving a sustainable and robust presence on and around the Moon.
But “owned by NASA” requires important clarification. NASA does not build the rockets, the spacecraft, or the lunar landers with its own workforce the way it did during Apollo. Instead, it contracts major private aerospace companies to design and build the hardware, then NASA pays for it using taxpayer funds and owns the final product. This is the critical distinction that defines the modern Artemis ownership structure — and it has enormous implications for cost, accountability, and the future of American space exploration.
Artemis Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Party | Role | Ownership / Contract Type | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASA (U.S. Federal Government) | Program Owner and Lead Agency | 100% program ownership | Funded by U.S. taxpayers; total cost ~$93 billion through 2025 |
| Boeing | Prime Contractor — SLS Rocket Core Stage | Cost-plus contract | Largest single contractor; responsible for most cost overruns |
| Lockheed Martin | Prime Contractor — Orion Spacecraft | Cost-plus contract | Building Orion capsules for Artemis II, III, IV, and V |
| Northrop Grumman | Prime Contractor — Solid Rocket Boosters | Cost-plus contract | Provides 75%+ of SLS total thrust at launch |
| Aerojet Rocketdyne | Engine Contractor — RS-25 Engines | Cost-plus contract | Manufactures the four RS-25 engines powering the SLS core stage |
| SpaceX | Human Landing System (Starship HLS) | Fixed-price contract ($2.9B) | Developing lunar lander; SpaceX owns Starship, NASA buys the service |
| Blue Origin | Human Landing System (Blue Moon) | Fixed-price contract | Second lunar lander option for Artemis IV and beyond |
| Axiom Space | Spacesuit Contractor | Fixed-price contract | Developing the AxEMU lunar spacesuit for surface missions |
| European Space Agency (ESA) | International Partner | No equity; provides ESM | Builds the European Service Module (ESM) powering Orion |
| Canadian Space Agency (CSA) | International Partner | No equity; provides robotics | Contributing advanced robotics; Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen flies Artemis II |
| 61 Nations (Artemis Accords) | Signatory Partners | No ownership; policy agreements | As of January 2026, 61 countries have signed the Artemis Accords |
| Jared Isaacman | NASA Administrator | Government appointee | Appointed 2025; leading major 2026 program restructuring |
The Origin of Artemis: How It All Started
Artemis did not appear out of nowhere. It grew out of decades of false starts, cancelled programs, and shifting presidential priorities — each administration trying to put its own stamp on America’s next chapter in space.
During the first administration of President Donald Trump, NASA was directed to refocus human spaceflight on the Moon after years of prioritizing Mars. The lunar effort would be built around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule — hardware first conceived under the previous, since-cancelled Constellation program — with Boeing serving as the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, Northrop Grumman producing the rocket’s solid-fuel boosters, and Lockheed Martin building the Orion spacecraft.
In 2019, the White House set an ambitious and ultimately impossible target of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2024. That deadline was never realistic — but it forced NASA to move faster than it otherwise would have, laying the groundwork for everything that followed.
The program was named Artemis months after its mission sequence was outlined — and the name stuck immediately, capturing both the public imagination and the political will to fund it.
NASA Owns Artemis — But Private Companies Built It
This is the part of the Artemis ownership story that most people do not fully understand — and it matters enormously.
NASA owns the rocket, which was largely contracted out to Boeing (core stage), Aerojet Rocketdyne (engines), and Northrop Grumman (solid rocket booster). Lockheed Martin builds the Orion spacecraft for NASA. Development goes back to the Constellation program.
These contracts are structured as cost-plus contracts — meaning NASA pays Boeing and Northrop Grumman through cost-plus contracting: contractors submit invoices for their expenses, and NASA reimburses them all, plus a fixed fee that represents profit. If Boeing discovers a technical problem requiring component redesign, they bill NASA for engineering hours, testing, and new production. The contractor’s profit stays the same whether the project runs $10 billion or $25 billion. If expenses exceed budget, taxpayers pay — not the contractor.
This structure is precisely why Artemis has become so expensive. In 2012, shortly after SLS was announced, NASA officials estimated that each mission would cost about $500 million — with the rocket targeting a 2017 debut. Today, the cost has ballooned eightfold, according to the NASA auditor.
The Human Landing System — the lunar lander — works completely differently. Unlike SLS and Orion, NASA does not own the HLS hardware. Instead, they pay a fixed price for services. The HLS contracts are priced modestly — $2.9 billion for Starship HLS 1 and $3.4 billion for Blue Moon HLS — potentially saving NASA billions of dollars.
Under this model, SpaceX owns Starship and Blue Origin owns Blue Moon. NASA simply pays for the service of being transported to the lunar surface and back — the same way you might pay an airline for a flight without owning the airplane.
The $93 Billion Question: What Has Artemis Cost?
The honest answer to how much Artemis has cost the American taxpayer is staggering.
NASA’s spending on its Artemis program of crewed lunar exploration will reach a total of $93 billion by 2025, according to a new audit by the NASA Office of Inspector General.
NASA spent over a decade and a staggering approximately $61 billion (inflation adjusted) developing the Artemis hardware. The hefty price tag produced the most powerful and capable crew-rated vehicles built since Apollo.
For context, the entire Apollo program — which landed humans on the Moon six times across six years — cost approximately $280 billion in today’s money. Artemis has spent about a third of that and has not yet put boots on the lunar surface. But unlike Apollo, Artemis is designed to be sustainable — not a one-time sprint, but the foundation for a permanent human presence on the Moon and eventually a pathway to Mars.
Artemis II: The Mission That Changes Everything
The most important event in the Artemis program’s history is happening right now — and the world is watching.
Artemis II is a planned lunar flyby mission under the Artemis program, scheduled to launch no earlier than April 1, 2026. The ten-day mission will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a free-return trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth.
It will be the second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS), the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft, and the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is expected to set several human spaceflight records. Glover would become the first person of color, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
The road to the launch pad has not been smooth. A wet dress rehearsal occurred on February 2, following which NASA announced the launch would be postponed to March due to a liquid hydrogen leak. A second wet dress rehearsal occurred on February 19 and was successful. On February 21, a helium flow issue was observed, triggering a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building and delaying the mission to April at the earliest.
The 2026 Overhaul: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman Reshapes Everything
Just as Artemis II was approaching launch, the man at the top of NASA announced sweeping changes to the program’s future direction — changes that will affect every mission from Artemis III onward.
After taking office, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a sweeping overhaul of the Artemis program, scrapping plans for the Lunar Gateway — a space station intended to orbit the Moon — and redirecting its components toward building a permanent base on the lunar surface. He also added an additional crewed mission ahead of a lunar landing, arguing that the extra flight would help crews and ground teams build operational “muscle memory” in deep space before attempting sustained surface missions.
On 26 February 2026, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the agency would standardize to the configuration of Block 1 and cancel development of the Block 1B and Block 2 upgrades, citing risk reduction and schedule stability for the Artemis campaign.
These decisions have direct consequences for the major contractors. Artemis III (mid-2027) is planned to be the second crewed Artemis mission, with the crew conducting rendezvous and docking tests in low Earth orbit with one or both commercially developed lunar landers launched separately — SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. Artemis IV (early 2028) is planned to be the first American crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
The Budget War in Washington
Artemis is not just a space story — it is a political story. And in 2026, the politics around its funding have never been more complicated.
President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint calls to end the SLS rocket and Orion capsule after the Artemis II test flight scheduled to launch in early 2026, and the Artemis III mission, which is slated to launch no earlier than mid-2027. A document outlining the budget request says the proposal “refocuses” NASA funding on “beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars.”
But Congress pushed back hard. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spearheaded an amendment to shoehorn more than $10 billion into the legislation to save some of those NASA targets. That funding includes $4.1 billion for the SLS rockets needed for the Artemis IV and V missions. This is a big win for prime contractor Boeing, which makes the rocket core stages, as well as Northrop Grumman, which makes the SLS’s two solid rocket boosters.
The outcome of this budget battle will determine whether Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman continue building rockets for NASA — or whether SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn become the primary vehicles for America’s next chapter in space.
The International Partnership: 61 Countries and Counting
One of the most remarkable things about Artemis is its global reach. This is not just an American program — it is the most internationally inclusive space exploration effort in human history.
In 2020, NASA partnered with the U.S. Department of State to establish the Artemis Accords, a series of ten common principles to enable peaceful cooperation in space. This includes commitments to provide mutual aid in case of emergency, to mitigate dangerous orbital debris, and to openly share scientific data. As of January 2026, 61 countries have signed onto the Accords, and new countries continue to join.
Artemis remains for all humanity, and NASA is reaching across the globe to bring the world along for this epic journey. Artemis is propelling the lunar economy forward as its missions bring science discoveries and benefits back to Earth.
The European Space Agency is building the European Service Module that powers every Orion spacecraft. Canada contributed advanced robotics and earned a seat on Artemis II for astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Japan and the UAE are partners in the now-cancelled Lunar Gateway project. The Artemis program is, in every meaningful sense, a global undertaking — even if NASA holds the keys.
Artemis is owned by NASA — the United States federal government’s space agency — and funded by American taxpayers to the tune of approximately $93 billion through 2025. NASA leads every mission, owns the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, and sets the direction for the entire program.
But Artemis is built by America’s greatest aerospace companies. Boeing builds the rocket core stage. Lockheed Martin builds the Orion capsule. Northrop Grumman makes the solid rocket boosters. SpaceX is developing the Starship lunar lander — which it owns. Blue Origin is building the Blue Moon lander. And 61 nations around the world have signed the Artemis Accords, making this the most globally connected space program in history.
Artemis II is scheduled for April 2026 — the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit since 1972 — and it represents the opening chapter of humanity’s next great era of space exploration. Whether SLS and Orion survive the budget battles in Washington beyond Artemis III remains to be seen. But the mission is clear: return to the Moon, build a permanent base, and eventually send humans to Mars.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns the Artemis program?
Artemis is fully owned and led by NASA, an agency of the United States federal government, funded entirely by American taxpayers.
Q2. Does SpaceX own part of Artemis?
No. SpaceX is a contractor — it owns Starship HLS and provides lunar landing services to NASA under a fixed-price $2.9 billion contract.
Q3. How much has the Artemis program cost so far?
NASA’s Office of Inspector General estimates total Artemis spending reached approximately $93 billion through 2025.
Q4. Who is the current NASA Administrator in 2026?
Jared Isaacman, appointed in 2025, serves as NASA Administrator and announced a sweeping overhaul of the Artemis program in February 2026.
Q5. When is Artemis II launching?
Artemis II is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, sending four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby — the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Q6. Which companies are the main contractors for Artemis?
Boeing (SLS core stage), Lockheed Martin (Orion spacecraft), Northrop Grumman (solid rocket boosters), SpaceX (Starship HLS lander), and Blue Origin (Blue Moon lander).
Q7. How many countries have signed the Artemis Accords?
As of January 2026, 61 countries have signed the Artemis Accords — the international framework for peaceful cooperation in lunar exploration.
Q8. When will astronauts actually land on the Moon under Artemis?
The first crewed lunar landing is now targeted for Artemis IV, scheduled for early 2028, after the plan was revised in February 2026 by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.