NASA's Artemis Delays: Lunar Mission Postponed to 2026

NASA has announced delays in its Artemis program, targeting a lunar mission for April 2026 with a focus on addressing heat shield issues from a previous test flight. The revision pushes expected moon landings to 2027, aligning efforts to beat China's moon landing target of 2030.

NASA has announced more delays in its ambitious Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon more than half a century after the iconic Apollo missions.

Administrator Bill Nelson confirmed that the next mission, featuring four astronauts in a lunar fly-around, is now targeted for April 2026, pushed back from an earlier 2025 schedule. The delay follows findings on heat shield damage from a previous test flight of the Orion capsule.

This development shifts NASA's timeline for a moon landing to at least 2027, altering the schedule of their lunar exploration race with China, set for 2030. The space agency is urging contractors, including SpaceX, to intensify their efforts to meet project deadlines.

(With inputs from agencies.)