From NBC Universal:

NASA is delaying the Artemis lunar program’s upcoming missions by a year due to technology completion. Artemis 2 is now targeting September 2025, and Artemis 3 is aimed for September 2026. The four-person crew for Artemis 2 was announced last spring, and they were initially planned for a November 2023 launch. The program aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era.

The delays in the Artemis lunar program were confirmed by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during a press briefing. Reports from CNN and Reuters had previously indicated that scheduling adjustments were likely due to spacecraft delays. The Artemis program is dependent on various vehicles and equipment developed by companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, and Collins Aerospace. Development and technology setbacks are being faced by many of these companies, contributing to the program’s significant delays and budget overruns.

The budget for the Artemis program has exceeded $42 billion since 2012, and the initial missions are estimated to cost $4.2 billion per launch. The delays and budget overruns are posing significant obstacles to NASA’s ambitious effort to return humans to the lunar surface. The program’s Inspector General has highlighted challenges with crucial infrastructure, indicating the need for substantial improvements to keep the program on track.



Read more: NASA delays crewed Artemis moon missions