NASA Delays Artemis Moon Missions to 2026-2027 Due to Orion Heat Shield Issues, Aims to Beat China's Moon Goal

Dec 5, 2024, 09:28 PM

NASA has announced further delays in its Artemis moon missions due to problems with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, discovered during the unpiloted Artemis I mission. The Artemis II mission, originally planned for between 2019 and 2021, is now scheduled for April 2026, making it 5 to 7 years late. This mission will send astronauts around the Moon using a modified reentry trajectory to address the heat shield issues. The Artemis III mission, which depends on the readiness of the SpaceX lunar lander, is now set for mid-2027 and aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in decades. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized that the safety of the astronauts is the top priority and stated that these missions will land astronauts "well ahead of China's publicly stated goal of 2030." The Artemis program has faced budget overruns, with $93 billion already allocated, and significant delays.