Watchdog: NASA ‘Ruled Out’ Crew Rescue Capability for Artemis Moon Landing

Audit determines that the space agency has no way of saving astronauts stranded on the moon.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A composite image of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander (left) and SpaceX’s Starship lander on the lunar surface. [Credit: Blue Origin/SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's Artemis program, despite planning two crewed lunar landings in 2028, lacks the capability to rescue astronauts in a life-threatening emergency on the moon or in space, according to a recent OIG audit.
The audit highlights significant safety gaps and potential delays in the development of Human Landing Systems (HLS) by commercial partners, noting limitations in crew survival analyses and unrepresentative pre-landing demonstrations.
Key safety concerns include NASA forgoing crucial tests for lunar dust impact on life support systems and the potential for SpaceX's HLS to lack essential manual controls, which the OIG deems vital for crew survival.

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NASA earlier this month overhauled its Artemis moon mission program, announcing plans to attempt not just one but two crewed lunar landings in 2028. However, should the astronauts become stranded on the moon, the space agency has no way to bring them home, according to an audit by its Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Published Tuesday, the 50-page report revealed that NASA has “ruled out” the development of crew rescue capabilities for the early crewed Artemis missions. In other words, “should the astronauts encounter a life-threatening emergency in space or on the lunar surface, NASA does not have the capability to rescue the stranded crew,” the OIG audit reads.