NASA delays Artemis moon missions again, citing safety concerns

NASA has announced another postponement in its Artemis program, pushing the timeline for returning astronauts to the moon further into the future.

The Artemis II mission, which aims to send four astronauts around the moon, has been rescheduled for April 2026, slipping from its earlier target of September 2025. The highly anticipated Artemis III mission—a lunar landing—will now take place no earlier than 2027.

Administrator Bill Nelson explained that the delays stem from an extensive investigation into damage sustained by the Orion capsule’s heat shield during its inaugural uncrewed test flight in 2022. While the test flight successfully circled the moon and returned to Earth, the capsule’s heat shield suffered significant erosion and charring upon reentry. “It took time for engineers to fully understand the issue and devise a solution,” Nelson said.

NASA will use the same Orion capsule with its original heat shield for the upcoming Artemis II mission but plans to modify its reentry trajectory to reduce stress on the shield. Replacing the heat shield entirely would have caused at least a year’s delay, officials noted.

During a press conference at NASA headquarters in Washington, astronaut Reid Wiseman, the mission commander for Artemis II, addressed the frustrations of the delays. “Delays are agonizing and slowing down is agonizing—it’s not what we like to do,” Wiseman said. However, he emphasized the importance of fully resolving safety concerns. “Now we can focus with this large decision behind us.”

Joining Wiseman on Artemis II are fellow NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Their mission will be a critical precursor to the Artemis III moon landing, which aims to mark the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.

NASA’s Artemis program serves as a follow-up to the Apollo moonshots of the 1960s and 1970s. While 24 astronauts flew to the moon during Apollo, only 12 walked its surface, leaving the last human footprints in lunar dust more than 50 years ago.

Despite the setbacks, Nelson remains confident that the U.S. will return astronauts to the lunar surface before China, which has targeted 2030 for its first crewed moon landing. Nelson has urged all Artemis contractors, including SpaceX, to “double down” on meeting deadlines. SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which will ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface, is undergoing frequent test flights as part of this effort.

In an unexpected twist, Nelson revealed he has invited billionaire Jared Isaacman, recently nominated by former President Trump to lead NASA, to visit headquarters in Washington. “We are committed to making this happen,” Nelson said, underscoring the importance of the Artemis program in rekindling humanity’s lunar ambitions.