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| Orion spacecraft of NASA's unmanned Artemis-1 mission | Photo: NASA |
The long-awaited Artemis lunar mission has a new date. More than 50 years after the first human landing on the moon, the Artemis mission will return humans to the moon - this is the hope of the US space agency NASA.
In fact, NASA is delaying the Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 missions to ensure the safety of astronauts. NASA has confirmed the delay in the Artemis program. The first two crewed lunar missions are being postponed for the time being. The Artemis-2 mission was rescheduled from September 2025 to April 2026. This mission was planned to take astronauts around the moon. And the Artemis-3 mission was supposed to land the explorers on the lunar surface. It was moved from late 2026 to mid-2027.
NASA has postponed the Artemis mission considering the overall situation. NASA has been delayed mainly due to technical challenges. The biggest setback has been the problem with the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft.
The delay is due to results obtained during the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission in 2022. Problems with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield are being seen due to internal pressure created in the spacecraft. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said that the spacecraft's reentry trajectory must be adjusted to ensure safety. The plan is being postponed due to potential risks.
NASA's biggest competition in space exploration is with China. China has already announced plans to send astronauts to the moon before 2030. Beijing is moving ahead rapidly with new rockets and various types of lunar landers.
Donald Trump will take office as President of the United States this month. There is uncertainty about the future of the Artemis program at that time. Donald Trump is a critic of expensive government projects, so NASA's space launch system may be re-evaluated.
Alternatives like SpaceX's Starship may be given priority over NASA's big-budget projects. SpaceX's Starship rocket may be considered a viable alternative to Artemis. Despite its importance, NASA is seeing the uncertainty of the Artemis program. Let's see what Donald Trump decides.