NASA has announced that the first crewed lunar landing under the Artemis program will be delayed from 2025 to no earlier than September 2026. The space agency cited numerous technical and safety issues behind the Artemis II and III mission delays.
Background Leading to Delays
The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Originally planned to land crew on the lunar surface by 2024, the timeline has faced continued setbacks over development delays with key components like spacesuits and lunar landers.
NASA’s powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), has also faced years of delays and cost overruns putting it billions of dollars over budget. The SLS remains central to NASA’s lunar plans, designed to launch the Orion spacecraft with astronauts on board.
“NASA has wrestled with completing development of the Artemis vehicles for years, struggling with costs and deadlines,” said space policy expert Marcia Smith. “Budget and technical problems caused the 2024 date to slip even before Covid-19 added further delays.”
Spacesuit Setbacks Behind Latest Delay
The decision to delay Artemis II and III until 2025 and 2026 came after an extensive review over the holidays assessing hardware readiness and remaining schedule margins.
Officials concluded the new Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Units (xEMUs), also known as spacesuits, will not be ready in time for a late 2024 crewed flight.
“Early Artemis spacesuit delivery from the suit vendor continues to be delayed due to certification challenges and finalizing requirements,” noted Jim Free, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development.
Without the xEMUs ready for flight, NASA faced increased safety risks sending astronauts to orbit the moon on Artemis II which would help pave the way for lunar surface missions.
Orion Spacecraft Faces Mounting Challenges
Development of the Orion spacecraft has also faced numerous technical problems that threatened the possibility of launching Artemis II this year.
“It’s become clear we will need more time as we fully understand and mitigate risks,” said Jim Free. Issues have ranged from faulty weldings to problems with the spacecraft’s solar array wings.
Orion is being built primarily by Lockheed Martin with contributions from over 1,000 companies across the country. Management failures were highlighted in an recent audit report pointing to ineffective communications and resource shortages:
“Orion has faced management challenges that have strained engineering capacity…Several key engineering positions were vacant for over a year slowing technical decision-making.”
Continued slow progress on the Orion capsules needed for Artemis, coupled with spacesuit delays, cemented the decision to push target dates into 2025/2026.
Impact on International Partners
The mission delays have ramifications beyond NASA, as over 20 countries are contributing technology or hardware support to the Artemis program.
Canada faces one of the largest impacts having invested over $2 billion CAD developing a new lunar rover for surface exploration on Artemis III. Economic benefits touted from potential lunar mining contracts have now been pushed further into the future.
The European Space Agency is providing the Orion spaceship’s service module at a cost of over €650 million euros based on completing development by 2024. Member state Italy expressed frustration over continued Artemis delays and budget increases.
“2026 is unacceptable for the investments we made,” said a spokesman from the Italian Space Agency. “We need to review how this latest shift impacts existing agreements.”
Path Ahead: NASA Targets Launch in Late 2025
Despite the Artemis mission delays, NASA is pressing forward with plans to launch the first integrated test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft in late 2025. That important uncrewed test, known as Artemis I, is a priority milestone on the path to crewed flights.
“Artemis I paves the way for not just a single trip to the lunar surface but a sustainable long-term presence both at the Moon and beyond,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
The Artemis I mission will send an uncrewed Orion capsule around the moon and back on a 4 to 6 week test journey. Onboard sensors and dummies will help certify spacecraft systems for astronauts.
If successful, engineers can then finalize preparations for Artemis II which will perform a similar lunar flightpath but with astronauts on board starting in September 2025. That mission would set the stage for a lunar landing on Artemis III now expected in late September 2026 at the earliest.
Long Term Vision Despite Setbacks
While missing the original 2024 Artemis lunar landing goal, NASA stresses they remain firmly committed to sustainable deep space exploration.
Establishing a permanent human presence on and around the moon is seen as vital practice for eventual human missions to Mars. The lunar south pole also harbors richer soil resources supporting extended lunar surface habitats.
“NASA’s Artemis program represents the enduring American spirit of exploration,” said NASA lead Nelson, “We persevere in the face of challenges – forging ahead together with allies to usher in a new golden era of space discovery.”
| Artemis Mission | Description | Original Target Date | Revised Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis I | 1st integrated flight of SLS / Orion without crew | Nov 2022 | Late 2025 |
| Artemis II | 1st crewed Orion flight around moon | May 2024 | Sept 2025 |
| Artemis III | 1st lunar landing with astronauts | 2024 | Sept 2026 or later |
While the Artemis delays have fueled criticism in some circles, many experts note the technical challenges faced pushing deeper into space. New spacesuits, lunar landers, gateway stations, and surface refueling stations represent cutting edge innovations not built before.
“Returning to the moon, and especially landing humans, remains incredibly hard,” reminded Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet. “The new technologies NASA needs cannot be bought off the shelf but have to be invented from scratch.”
With the finish line now pushed out to September 2026, NASA will continue working with partners like SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and Boeing racing to complete Artemis hardware. Overcoming the complex obstacles on the road back to the moon promises valuable technological advances and united international cooperation for many years to come.
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