Nasa has announced significant changes to its Artemis III mission, abandoning plans for a human moon landing and instead targeting 2028 for the first lunar touchdown in over 50 years. The revised strategy, unveiled by newly confirmed administrator Jared Isaacman, introduces additional test flights to address technical glitches and safety concerns.
Under the new plan, the Artemis II mission—a crewed flyby of the moon—has been delayed from 6 March to at least 1 April due to a helium flow blockage in the rocket's upper stage. This follows a previous postponement in February caused by a hydrogen leak. Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey beyond the record set by Apollo 13.
Isaacman stated that the agency would adopt an incremental approach, adding at least one new moon flight before attempting a landing. The redesigned Artemis III, now slated for mid-2027, will remain in low-Earth orbit to test essential technologies. A new Artemis IV mission is planned for 2028 to achieve the lunar landing, with subsequent annual missions.
The changes come after the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel issued a blunt report criticising the original plans as too risky. Isaacman defended the revised course, saying, 'Everybody agrees this is the only way forward.' The ultimate goal is to land astronauts near the moon's south pole, with Artemis V potentially following in 2028.
