NASA Pushes First Moon Landing Since Apollo Era to 2027

Findings from the Artemis I test mission have forced the space agency to recalculate its plans for future flights.

Thursday, December 05, 2024 at 05:09 PM ET

Verified

Artemis II crewmembers Jeremy Hansen (from left), Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch will have to wait a few additional months before they fly around the moon and back. [Courtesy: James Blair/NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA has again delayed its Artemis missions, pushing the crewed lunar landing (Artemis III) to no earlier than mid-2027 and the crewed circumlunar mission (Artemis II) to April 2026.
The primary cause for the delays is an issue with the Orion capsule's heat shield, discovered during the Artemis I test mission, which unexpectedly developed cracks and shed material during atmospheric reentry.
NASA plans to mitigate the heat shield issue for Artemis II by adjusting the reentry procedure, and will incorporate a new heat shield for Artemis III, while also addressing ongoing challenges with Orion's life support systems and commercial partner development.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For the second time this year, NASA has pushed back its timeline to land the first Americans on the moon since the Apollo era.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Thursday revealed that due to an issue with the heat shield on NASA’s Orion capsule, discovered during the 2022 Artemis I test mission, the Artemis III lunar landing—originally scheduled for 2025 and in January pushed to September 2026—will now happen no sooner than mid-2027.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.