NASA has delayed its Artemis moon missions until April 2026 and mid-2027, citing technical issues and changes in leadership. The delay comes as President-elect Donald J. Trump is set to return to the White House in January.
The Artemis I mission, which sent astronauts around the moon in 2022, was initially planned for September 2025 but has been rescheduled due to damage to its heat shield. NASA engineers found that gases built up and created cracks in the shield, causing months of delays.
Despite the setback, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remains confident that the Artemis program will continue. He cited a shared sense of urgency among international partners, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and SpaceX, as well as China’s plans to send its own astronauts to the moon in 2030.
The delay also raises questions about the program’s direction under President Trump’s administration. Mr. Trump has been working with Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, who is developing a Starship spacecraft for the Artemis III mission. Some speculate that the new administration may shift the focus from the moon to Mars.
Mr. Nelson downplayed concerns, saying that NASA has already achieved significant progress and will continue to push forward under the new administration. He praised the Orion capsule’s performance during the Artemis I mission and expressed optimism about the future of the program.
The Artemis II mission is set to send astronauts closer to the moon than ever before, with a crew of three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut on board. Despite the delay, the mission remains an exciting milestone for space exploration.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/science/nasa-moon-artemis-delayed-2027.html