SLS upper stage saved for lunar later, NASA commits Artemis III to LEO, but when in 2027?

NASA finally confirmed that they will save the lunar SLS upper stage for a lunar mission and fly a "spacer" on Artemis III. SLS and Orion will stay home around Earth to support HLS development testing, which isn't lunar ready yet. When any of the multiple launches NASA sees for Artemis III will be ready is still up in the air. SpaceX is getting ready to fly a new version of Starship off a new launch pad next week, but the schedules for 2026 and 2027 remain mysterious. In this video, I'll go through that and an update on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget process. Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted. Links to social media posts: https://x.com/NASAArtemis/status/2055... Links to stories referenced: https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/04... Join the channel for additional members-only content:    / @philipsloss   Or, consider buying me a coffee to support my work and the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/philipsloss 00:00 Intro 01:05 Artemis III Watch: NASA confirms a "spacer" instead of ICPS 06:44 SLS and Orion staying in Earth orbit to support HLS development 09:09 Imagery of Artemis III Orion and SLS elements still in production 10:46 SpaceX previews Starship flight test 12 for May 19 13:36 The Artemis III update doesn't talk about when anything will happen 15:33 House appropriations approves NASA's FY 2027 budget, has concerns about an Artemis gap, but doesn't offer any suggestions or money 17:38 The government is looking for someone else to pay for Artemis 19:04 Other news and notes 20:50 Thanks for watching!