NASA Delays $93 Billion Artemis Moon Missions to 2026 and 2027, Awaiting SpaceX Lander

Dec 5, 2024, 07:00 PM

NASA has announced further delays to its $93 billion Artemis moon missions, pushing back the first crewed flight around the Moon, Artemis II, to April 2026, and the subsequent lunar landing mission, Artemis III, to mid-2027, assuming the SpaceX lander is ready. The delays are attributed to concerns with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, observed during the uncrewed Artemis I mission. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that Artemis II will use a modified trajectory to address the heat shield issues. The Artemis II mission, originally planned for 2019-2021, is now 5 to 7 years behind schedule. Despite being over budget, NASA aims to land astronauts on the Moon ahead of China's publicly stated goal of a lunar landing by 2030.