US space agency NASA has postponed 2026 its manned Artemis mission to land on the Moon, which would send the first woman and the first black person to the lunar surface. NASA said in a press release that it has changed the deadlines for the Artemis mission. Now, the target for Artemis 2 has been set for September 2025.
NASA has set a target of September 2026 for Artemis 3, which plans to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole. There is no change in the 2028 time target for Artemis 4, the first mission to the Gateway space station on the Moon. Artemis 2 was initially scheduled for later this year.
Crew Safety Is Important
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that they have learned much since Artemis 1. The success of these early missions has helped us understand the solar system. This depends on our commercial and international partnerships to further our understanding. The space agency said that the reason for the change in the timing of Artemis 2 is to ensure the crew’s safety.
New Time Line Set For Flight
NASA said, “Artemis will be the first flight test with a crew aboard the Orion spacecraft. With its help, the Orion mission will test the critical environmental control and life support systems needed to support astronauts. NASA said that the new timeline for Artemis 3 aligns with the latest schedule for Artemis 2.”
The agency can incorporate the learnings from Artemis 2 in its next mission. “We will use the Artemis 2 flight test to reduce risk for future Moon missions,” said Katherine Korner, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
