Washington DC [US]: NASA has announced a delay in its ambitious Artemis programme, with the Artemis II crewed test flight now rescheduled for April 2026, and the Artemis III mission pushed back to mid-2027. This update reflects the time needed to address technical challenges and ensure mission safety.
In an official statement on Thursday, NASA cited findings from its investigation into the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield, which experienced unexpected material loss during the Artemis I uncrewed test flight.
“The Artemis campaign is the most daring, technically challenging, collaborative, international endeavour humanity has ever set out to do,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We need to get this next test flight right. That’s how the Artemis campaign succeeds.”
Heat Shield and Safety Adjustments
The investigation revealed that while the Artemis II heat shield is capable of protecting the crew, changes to Orion’s trajectory during re-entry will be implemented to ensure safety. As Orion re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, it will slow from nearly 25,000 mph to about 325 mph before deploying parachutes for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
“Throughout our process to investigate the heat shield phenomenon and determine a forward path, we’ve stayed true to NASA’s core values; safety and data-driven analysis remained at the forefront,” said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
Artemis II Crew and Mission Objectives
The Artemis II mission, a 10-day crewed test flight around the Moon and back, will include NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (mission commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
This mission will provide critical data on Orion’s life support systems, manual flying capabilities, air revitalization in the cabin, and interactions between astronauts and spacecraft hardware.
Progress Toward Lunar and Martian Exploration
Despite the delays, NASA emphasized the Artemis campaign’s significance for future deep space exploration. With Artemis, NASA aims to explore more of the Moon than ever before, develop technologies for sustainable living in space, and prepare for human missions to Mars.
“We have made significant progress on the Artemis campaign over the past four years, and I’m proud of the work our teams have done to prepare us for this next step forward in exploration,” Nelson added.
Next Steps
NASA continues stacking elements of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which began in November, and is preparing the rocket for integration with Orion for Artemis II.
The Artemis II delay ensures the spacecraft and systems are fully optimized, setting the stage for the eventual Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface, including the first woman and person of color, marking a new chapter in human space exploration.