Artemis Program Delays Announced

By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced on Thursday new delays in the U.S. space agency's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. The next two planned missions have been pushed back due to potential policy changes under President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

Nelson announced that the next Artemis mission, which will send astronauts around the moon and back, has now been postponed to April 2026. The subsequent landing mission using SpaceX's Starship is planned for mid-2027.

Nelson clarified, "Assuming the SpaceX lander is ready, we plan to launch Artemis III in mid-2027.” He noted the delays come as a response to increasing competition with China, which intends to land on the lunar surface by 2030.

The delays were revealed after an assessment of the Orion crew capsule, manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The capsule's heat shield suffered cracking and partial erosion during its reentry on the Artemis I uncrewed test mission in 2022.

The Artemis program was initiated during Trump’s first administration and aims to prepare for future Mars missions by establishing permanent lunar bases. The program's estimated cost through 2025 stands at approximately $93 billion.

Despite significant progress, including the 2022 uncrewed launch of Orion, the program has faced numerous setbacks and increased costs, leading Trump's transition team to reconsider its direction. The Space Launch System (SLS) has a per-launch cost of around $2 billion and faced major development overruns.

During the Artemis I mission, the Orion capsule completed a 25-day journey around the moon, ultimately splash landing in the Pacific. Concerns arose regarding the heat shield after it trapped heat, causing potential issues for future models. As a result, Nelson and NASA officials decided to retain the current heat shield design for Artemis II but will modify its return trajectory to avoid similar problems.

For missions beyond Artemis II, upgraded heat shields are planned. A redesign for Artemis II would cause significant delays—at least a year, according to NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.

The Artemis II mission, which will involve a crewed flight around the moon without landing, has also encountered delays, now set for April 2026.

Artemis III involves transferring astronauts from Orion to SpaceX’s Starship for a lunar landing. The United States and China are both actively courting international partners and leveraging private companies for their respective moon projects.

Under Nelson’s leadership, the Artemis program has been NASA’s primary goal. Jim Bridenstine, the first NASA chief under Trump, initiated the program, securing additional funding from Congress.

Currently, Trump has appointed billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, an associate of SpaceX’s Elon Musk, as the new NASA chief. Nelson congratulated Isaacman and anticipates the incoming administration will continue with the existing Artemis plans.