Boeing is preparing to lay off around 400 employees due to delays in the US space agency’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2026. The company cited rising costs and revisions to the program as reasons for the expected job losses.
NASA’s Artemis III mission, scheduled to send astronauts walking on the moon, has been pushed back until September 2026 from its original 2025 deadline. This delay comes after the Artemis II mission, which was set to launch in 2024 and 2025, was also postponed.
The US last sent astronauts to the moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Boeing’s Space Launch System rocket is one of the key components for the Artemis program. The company claims it will minimize job losses by moving employees to other roles within the company.
NASA’s budget for the Artemis program has increased to around $93 billion, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
Source: https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/boeing-warns-hundreds-layoffs-amid-nasas-artemis-program-delays