NASA’s Two Astronaut Moon Missions Are The First In Over 50 Years But Will Have To Wait
Even though it has been over 50 years since the first lunar landing, touching ground on the Moon is still a tricky proposition, as several space agencies have realized in recent years. NASA understands that there is more at stake with the upcoming Artemis missions than just the loss of a spacecraft, and wants to take extra time to work through the challenges associated with first-time developments, operations, and integration.
In a press release, the space agency remarked it will now target September 2025 for Artemis II, and September 2026 for Artemis III. It added that the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station, Artemis IV, remains on schedule.
“We are returning to the Moon in a way we never have before, and the safety of our astronauts is NASA’s top priority as we prepare for future Artemis missions,” remarked NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We’ve learned a lot since Artemis I, and the success of these early missions relies on our commercial and international partnerships to further our reach and understanding of humanity’s place in our solar system. Artemis represents what we can accomplish as a nation - and as a global coalition. When we set our sights on what is hard, together, we can achieve what is great.”
One of the more concerning issues NASA is investigating is the unexpected loss of char layer pieces from the Artemis I spacecraft’s heat shield following reentry. The space agency reports its team is “taking a methodical approach” in understanding the issue, which includes an extensive sampling of the heat shield, testing, and a follow-up review of data from sensors and imagery.
Along with the loss of char layer pieces, NASA also wants additional time to study challenges experienced by industry partners, as well as for developing new capabilities. Two of the new capabilities NASA is referring to are SpaceX’s human landing system and Axiom Space’s next-generation spacesuits. The space agency wants additional time to test these new resources and more fine tuning before having to rely on them for the safety of the crew.
NASA plans on using the Artemis missions to explore more of the moon than ever before, while learning how to live and work on extraterrestrial soil. While it is gaining confidence in its ability to place humans on the lunar surface for extended periods of time, it will also work toward future human exploration of Mars.
