The Artemis-3 mission, launched with a SpaceX spacecraft and the first manned landing on the moon, was scheduled to launch in 2025, but according to NASA, it has been postponed to September 2026.
The mission was postponed due to safety concerns about the spacecraft carrying the crew and problems with spacesuits being developed by private companies. Interestingly, the Artemis-2 mission preparing habitation for the Moon was also delayed, and is now scheduled for September 2025.
The four Artemis-2 astronauts are scheduled to orbit the moon in the Orion capsule manufactured by Lockheed.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stressed that safety is a top priority. He also added that the postponement gives the Artemis crews an additional opportunity to prepare to face the challenges.
Further delays to the Artemis program were announced after the fuel tank failure of the commercial Vulcan rocket launched Monday, which carried the Peregrine lunar lander module, MTI reports.
NASA's lunar landing program has had to slow down several times over the past decade, resulting in billions of dollars in increased costs. According to government audits, the program's costs will reach about $93 billion (32 thousand billion forints) by 2025.
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