NASA Says Moon Missions Are Delayed Until 2026 and 2027
NASA has delayed its Artemis moon mission again. NASA Announce On Friday, it now aims to launch the Artemis II mission in April 2026 and Artemis III in mid-2027. This marks yet another shift in the mission’s timeline due to technical and logistical challenges.
The latest delays stem from problems with the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield, which unexpectedly lost charred material during the unmanned test reentry of Artemis 1 in December 2022. After an independent review and extensive analysis, NASA determined that its heat shield’s Avcoat material did not adequately vent gases, resulting in cracks and material loss.
While NASA determined the astronauts were safe aboard Artemis 1, the agency stressed the need to eliminate potential risks to ensure the mission’s success.
“The Artemis program is the boldest, most technically challenging, and most collaborative international effort ever undertaken by mankind,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “We need the next test flight to be successful. This That’s how Project Artemis succeeds.”
Meanwhile, NASA said it will continue to prepare its Space Launch System rocket, stacking its components – a process that began in November – to ensure compatibility with Artemis 2’s Orion spacecraft.
The Artemis 2 mission will be a 10-day manned test flight around the moon to collect important data on the performance of the Orion spacecraft. This includes monitoring the air regeneration system, testing manual flight capabilities and evaluating how the crew interacts with onboard hardware and software – critical steps in preparing NASA for the Artemis III mission.
The mission will land astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on the moon’s south pole. Humans have not landed on the moon since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
