Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — NASA has once again delayed the launch of the Artemis II mission, which aims to return humans to the Moon. This marks the second postponement following an earlier delay announced in January 2024.
NASA’s decision follows an extensive investigation into a heat shield issue during the Artemis I mission, confirming that the Artemis II heat shield will be capable of keeping the crew safe for the planned flight.
Originally scheduled for launch in 2024, Artemis II was pushed back to September 2025. NASA now targets a new launch date of April 2026. Consequently, the Artemis III mission, intended to land astronauts on the Moon, has also been delayed to mid-2027.
“The updates to our mission plans are a positive step toward ensuring we can safely accomplish our objectives at the Moon and develop the technologies and capabilities needed for crewed Mars missions,” Said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator of Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The delay stems from issues with the Orion spacecraft following the Artemis I mission in November 2022. While the uncrewed test flight was deemed successful, NASA discovered that portions of Orion’s heat shield burned away—raising concerns about its ability to protect astronauts during re-entry.
After extensive analysis, NASA found that the heat shield failed to adequately vent gases, leading to cracks and chipping in some layers during Artemis I, according to The Verge on Saturday December 7 2024.
Despite this damage, temperature sensors indicated that the Orion capsule’s interior remained safe and stable throughout the mission.
NASA will continue assembling the components of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, a process that began in November, in preparation for integration with the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission.
While also, engineers are now assembling and integrating the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III, applying lessons learned from Artemis I and making improvements to the manufacturing process for heat shields used in crewed lunar return missions. These upgrades aim to ensure uniformity and consistent permeability during lunar missions.
Artemis Mission
Artemis II will carry four astronauts—Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen—on a 10-day journey around the Moon before returning to Earth and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. While the mission does not include a lunar landing, it marks the first time astronauts will fly aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
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If successful, Artemis 2 will pave the way for Artemis 3, now targeted for 2027, when astronauts are expected to land near the Moon’s south pole.
Despite the repeated delays, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remains confident that the U.S. will land on the Moon before China, which plans to send astronauts there by 2030.
(Raidi/Agung)
