NASA has announced updates to its lunar exploration plans, including new targets for the Artemis II and III missions. The agency is now aiming to launch Artemis II in April 2026 and Artemis III in mid-2027. This comes after an investigation into a heat shield issue on the Orion spacecraft during the uncrewed Artemis I test flight.
The investigation found that the heat shield was not allowing for enough gas escape, causing material to crack and break off. However, data from the mission shows that temperatures inside the Orion remained comfortable and safe even without a crew on board.
Engineers are now preparing Orion with the heat shield attached for the Artemis II crewed test flight. The agency is also working to address environmental control and life support systems.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the team’s progress, saying “The Artemis campaign is the most daring, technically challenging, collaborative, international endeavor humanity has ever set out to do.” The mission will provide valuable data about Orion systems needed for crewed missions to deep space and beyond.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will fly on the 10-day Artemis II test flight around the Moon and back. The mission aims to pave the way for sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
NASA’s plans include exploring more of the Moon than ever before, learning how to live and work in space, and preparing for future human exploration of the Red Planet.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-orion-heat-shield-findings-updates-artemis-moon-missions