NASA is delaying the Artemis III mission, intended to return astronauts to the moon, to 2028, a shift in plans announced Tuesday by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. The mission, originally slated for 2027, will now focus on testing equipment in lunar orbit rather than attempting a landing.
The decision follows recent challenges with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which underwent repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after experiencing fuel leaks during dress rehearsals in February. The rocket was rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 25, according to NASA. The Artemis II mission, a planned lunar flyby with astronauts, is now targeting a launch no earlier than April 1, requiring the SLS to return to the launch pad by approximately March 21, according to associate administrator Lori Glaze.
Isaacman framed the change as a necessary step toward establishing a sustainable lunar presence. “Everyone agrees Here’s the only way forward,” he said. “This is how NASA changed the world, and this is how NASA is going to do it again.”
The revised plan for Artemis III involves launching in 2027 and rendezvousing in low Earth orbit with commercially developed lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Astronauts will utilize this opportunity to test spacesuits developed by Axiom Space. NASA will then aim for potential landing attempts with Artemis IV and V in 2028, though a commitment to launch both missions has not been made.
The agency has also decided to forgo planned upgrades to the SLS rocket between the Artemis II and III missions. This decision comes after the uncrewed Artemis I mission successfully orbited the moon in 2022, despite initial fuel leak issues.
Jack Kiraly, director of government relations for the Planetary Society, expressed relief at the revised approach. He believes the shift will allow NASA to concentrate on the technical challenges inherent in lunar exploration, rather than being constrained by political and budgetary pressures. “The technical problems abound at this point,” Kiraly said. “But better to have the technical problems, because those can be solved. It’s politics and bureaucracy that get in the way of those things.”
Isaacman emphasized the long-term goal of frequent lunar missions and the establishment of a permanent base on the moon, hoping to inspire a fresh generation of space explorers. “We want to see a lot more kids dressing up as astronauts on Halloween,” he said. “Inspiring the next generation to seize us a lot farther than the moon is part of the plan.”
