NASA Revises Artemis Timeline Before Moon Landing/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ NASA is restructuring its Artemis moon program by inserting an additional mission before attempting a crewed lunar landing. The decision follows rocket repairs and safety panel recommendations. A crewed moon landing is now targeted for 2028.
Artemis Program Update — Quick Looks
- NASA adds extra mission before lunar landing.
- Artemis II delayed to at least April.
- Artemis III shifts to Earth-orbit lander test.
- Crewed moon landing now planned for 2028.
- Safety panel urges scaled-back mission goals.
- Concerns over lander readiness and spacesuits.
- Administrator Jared Isaacman pushes shorter gaps between flights.
- First U.S. moon landing since Apollo era.
Deep Look: NASA Revises Artemis Timeline Before Moon Landing
NASA is reshaping its Artemis moon program, adding an additional astronaut mission before attempting a high-risk lunar landing — a move that pushes the next crewed moon landing to 2028.
The overhaul was announced Friday, just days after NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket was rolled back to its hangar for further repairs. At the same time, an independent safety advisory panel urged the agency to temper its ambitious objectives for returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.
Artemis II Delayed
The mission known as Artemis II — a crewed lunar flyby carrying four astronauts around the moon and back — is now postponed until at least April due to ongoing rocket issues. The flight will mark the first time astronauts travel beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era.
Artemis III Shifted to Test Mission
Under previous plans, Artemis III was slated to attempt a landing near the moon’s south pole, potentially as early as a year or two after Artemis II. That mission would have sent two astronauts to the lunar surface.
However, growing concerns over the readiness of the lunar lander and next-generation moonwalking suits — along with long intervals between missions — prompted NASA leadership to reconsider the schedule.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Artemis III will instead focus on launching a lunar lander into Earth orbit for testing in 2027. The practice mission is designed to validate critical systems before committing astronauts to a lunar descent.
Moon Landing Now Targeted for 2028
Under the revised plan, astronauts would attempt a lunar landing in 2028 — and NASA is even exploring the possibility of conducting two landings that year.
Isaacman emphasized that lengthy gaps between missions are unacceptable, noting that three years between flights slows momentum and increases risk. He said NASA aims to reduce that interval to one year or less when possible.
During the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s, NASA conducted multiple crewed lunar missions in rapid succession. The first crewed lunar orbit was followed by two additional missions before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in 1969.
Safety Concerns and Mission Complexity
Earlier this week, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel recommended that NASA revise Artemis III’s objectives, citing the demanding scope of the mission. The panel warned that scaling back complexity is essential if the United States hopes to safely return astronauts to the moon.
The Artemis program represents NASA’s most ambitious deep-space effort in decades. Beyond landing astronauts on the moon, the initiative aims to establish a sustained human presence near the lunar south pole and serve as a stepping stone for eventual missions to Mars.
With the revised timeline, NASA is signaling a shift toward a more cautious and incremental approach — prioritizing safety and system readiness over speed — as it works to usher in a new era of lunar exploration.
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