NASA Delays Artemis II to April 2026, Artemis III to Mid-2027 Due to Heat Shield Concerns

Dec 5, 2024, 06:24 PM

NASA has announced significant delays in its Artemis lunar missions. The Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts around the Moon, is now scheduled for April 2026, while the Artemis III mission, aimed at landing humans on the lunar surface, has been postponed to mid-2027. This adjustment in schedule comes after NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and agency leaders provided an update on the Artemis campaign. The delays are attributed to issues with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, which was discovered during the unpiloted Artemis I mission. NASA has decided to modify the reentry trajectory for Artemis II to address these concerns. The Artemis III mission's delay is also contingent on the readiness of SpaceX's lunar lander. Despite the delays, NASA aims to stay ahead of China's publicly stated intention to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.