The main reason is “ensuring the safety of astronauts”
NASA plans to land humans on the moon in 2026
NASA’s plan to land humans on the moon has been postponed by one year.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the 9th (local time), the second project of ‘Artemis’, ‘Artemis II’ (entering lunar orbit), which was scheduled to be completed in November of this year, has been postponed to September of next year. The third plan, ‘Artemis III’, which would land four astronauts on the moon, is also delayed to September 2026.
Artemis aims to establish a manned base on the moon by carrying out five or more phased plans. ‘Artemis I’, the first plan to verify the safety of the ‘Orion spacecraft’ being developed by NASA, completed its mission in 2022, but was later than the originally scheduled 2020.
The reason for delaying the schedule was to ‘ensure the safety of astronauts.’ NASA said, “Our previous testing identified issues that will take time to resolve,” and added, “Our top priority is ensuring astronaut safety.”
Artemis II is a lunar orbital project carrying four astronauts and orbiting the moon for 10 days before landing on Earth without attempting a lunar landing.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, “We have learned a lot from ‘Artemis I,’” and added, “It is difficult, but if we set goals and work together, we can achieve great things.”
NASA previously carried out ‘Artemis I’, which orbited the moon with a human-like mannequin aboard the ‘Orion spacecraft’, but it is explained that there is room for improvement.
“Artemis is a long-term project to prepare for Mars exploration,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA exploration systems manager, adding, “Crew safety is NASA’s top priority.”
NASA said that the plan’s target effect can be maximized only if all partner companies, including SpaceX, deliver products on time.
The mission of Artemis IV, the fourth project of Artemis, is the first gateway to the space station Luna Gateway, and is scheduled for 2028.
The Artemis program was the first plan to send humans back to the moon after the Apollo program was discontinued in 1972. The only human to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong in 1969.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.