NASA’s efforts to put astronauts back on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years are being pushed back. The space agency announced on Thursday, Dec. 5, it found problems with the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft, which will eventually take humans back to the moon as part of its Artemis program.
A NASA investigation revealed the heat shield’s outer layer cracked and charred, with material coming loose. It was apparently caused by an issue with ventilation, causing gas to build up during Orion’s uncrewed mission.
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NASA officials say they know what needs to be done to fix the issue, but it will require a change in the trajectory of the spacecraft to safely reenter Earth’s atmosphere, and that means the agency will need more time.
Now, NASA says the Artemis II mission, which involves the crew orbiting the moon but not landing on the lunar surface won’t happen until April 2026 at the earliest, and Artemis III, which will see humans on the moon for the first time since 1972, won’t launch until 2027.
The announcement is another bump in the road for an effort that saw its first uncrewed Artemis mission scheduled for 2016 delayed until 2022. However, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the delays are all in the name of safety.
Nelson posted on X, “We are committed to ensuring that when we go, we go safely. That’s what today’s decision is about—that’s how Artemis succeeds.”
