Washington DC, United States

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There have been major delays in NASA’s Artemis program which have caused setbacks for astronauts flying to the Moon as a part of that mission. This comes as Artemis II, which is intended to carry four astronauts into a lunar orbit, was moved to April 2026. 

Meanwhile, the initial plan of sending the astronauts around the Moon and not landing there will take place in September 2025. This date was already postponed once, from November of this year. The follow-up mission, Artemis III, scheduled for the following year, aims at the mid-2027 lunar landing.

Also read: Was 'mini-moon' asteroid once part of our Moon? NASA will try to find out when it returns

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Why is the mission being delayed?

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson attributed these delays to problems with the Orion crew capsule's heat shield. 

During a test flight in 2022, when the capsule flew without astronauts, the heat shield was damaged. It developed cracks and erosion as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere, raising concerns about its safety for future missions with crew onboard. 

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To fix this, NASA has decided to change the capsule’s return path for the upcoming Artemis II mission, while keeping the current heat shield design to avoid further delays that would come from redesigning it completely.

The Artemis program was launched during former United States President Donald Trump’s first term and aims to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, with plans to build lunar bases for future Mars missions. However, the program has faced issues like rising costs and technical difficulties. By 2025, the estimated cost of Artemis is around $93 billion, and each launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) costs about $2 billion.

Watch: Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines?

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NASA's commitment to Artemis

Nelson also highlighted the importance of sticking to the new deadlines to keep the US as a leader in space, especially with China planning to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030. He said the US still aims to land astronauts on the Moon before China, showing how competitive space exploration has become.

Under Nelson’s leadership, the Artemis program has been the American space agency’s top priority. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, appointed by Trump, played a key role in launching the Artemis program and securing funding from Congress.

Notably, India is a signatory to the Artemis Accords, a framework for international cooperation in lunar exploration.

(With inputs from agencies)