Lunar Landing Delayed: NASA Sets New 2027 Date

The United States has delayed its planned return to the moon from 2026 to mid-2027 due to ongoing issues with the heat shield and other technical problems affecting its Orion crew capsule, according to NASA officials.

This update comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, potentially leading to major changes at NASA. The Artemis program, named after the Greek goddess and sister of Apollo, was officially introduced in 2017. It is part of NASA's goal to establish a sustained presence on the moon and to use lessons learned there for future missions to Mars.

The first mission, Artemis 1, was an uncrewed test flight to the moon and back, completed in 2022 after multiple delays. However, after reviewing the data, it was found that Orion's heat shield had eroded in unexpected ways, and there were also issues with its electrical systems and life support systems.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson explained that they were able to recreate the problem on Earth, identify the cause, and now have a plan to address it. As a result, Artemis 2, which will carry a crew but not land on the moon, has been delayed from September 2025 to April 2026. The mission where the first woman and first person of color will walk on the moon’s south pole, Artemis 3, is now expected to happen in mid-2027.

This timeline places the U.S. mission ahead of the Chinese government's plans, which have stated their goal for a moon mission by 2030. Nelson emphasized that the safety of astronauts is always the top priority for NASA, stating, "We do not fly until we are ready."

In addition to the Orion capsule issues, NASA is waiting on SpaceX to complete its modified Starship rocket, which is intended to be used as a lunar lander. While SpaceX is making progress, it still has significant work ahead, especially in testing the complex refueling procedure needed in orbit.

Further delays are also expected regarding the development of the spacesuits by Axiom. Meanwhile, Trump recently nominated billionaire Jared Isaacman, a private astronaut, to lead NASA. Experts speculate that his leadership may bring about significant changes, such as potentially canceling the expensive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket or even rethinking the entire moon mission in favor of focusing on Mars.