NASA scraps its 2027 moon landing, adds two missions in 2028

What’s Happening

So get this: Rather than land astronauts on the moon, the Artemis III mission will now focus on docking and space suit tests in low Earth orbit.

News Space NASA scraps its 2027 moon landing, adds two missions in 2028 The agency just just dropped major changes to the Artemis program NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket rolled back into a building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for repairs on February 25. The rocket is supposed to launch astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 but has suffered delays because of fuel leaks. (yes, really)

Kim Shiflett/NASA By Lisa Grossman at 2:19 pm this: via email (Opens in new window) Email on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print NASA’s path to the moon is taking a detour.

The Details

The Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027, will no longer land on the moon as originally planned , NASA administrator Jared Isaacman just dropped February 27 in a news conference. Instead, the agency aims to attempt two lunar landings in 2028.

“Everyone agrees this is the only way forward,” Isaacman dropped. “This is how NASA changed the world, and this is how NASA is going to do it again.

Why This Matters

” for our We summarize the week’s scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. The announcement comes as the Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts around the moon for the first time since 1972, is facing a series of delays. After two dress rehearsals in February spilled leaks and other issues with the fueling system for the Space Launch System rocket, NASA rolled it back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for repairs on February 25.

This could have implications for future research in this area.

Key Takeaways

• Artemis II originally targeted a launch as early as February 6 but now aims for no sooner than April 1, dropped associate administrator Lori Glaze.
• To make that date, the rocket will need to return to the launch pad 21.
• In 2022, Artemis I shipped an uncrewed capsule around the moon after facing similar fuel leaks.

The Bottom Line

To make that date, the rocket will need to return to the launch pad 21. In 2022, Artemis I shipped an uncrewed capsule around the moon after facing similar fuel leaks.

What’s your take on this whole situation?