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

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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 program, pushing the crewed Artemis II mission to April 2026 and the Artemis III human moon landing to no earlier than mid-2027.
The primary reason for the delays is an issue with the Orion capsule's heat shield, discovered during the Artemis I test mission, where trapped gases caused cracks and shedding of protective material during reentry.
NASA will mitigate the heat shield issue by shortening the "skip reentry" for Artemis II and incorporating a new heat shield for Artemis III, while also addressing delays in life support system upgrades and commercial partner development.
Despite the setbacks, NASA prioritizes astronaut safety and aims to return Americans to the moon ahead of China, citing the strategic importance of the lunar south pole.

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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.