ORLANDO, Fla. — NASA is changing the plan for its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
The agency announced a revised approach that keeps the Artemis III mission in Earth orbit instead of sending astronauts to the lunar surface. Artemis III will launch and practice rendezvousing with the program’s lunar landing system while remaining near Earth. Artemis IV and V would then carry astronauts to the moon, using lunar landers being developed by commercial partners SpaceX and Blue Origin.
NASA made the change in part because of recurring technical problems. Artemis II, planned to carry four astronauts, remains grounded at Kennedy Space Center after engineers detected issues with the SLS rocket’s helium pressurization system and a liquid-hydrogen leak. Artemis I, an uncrewed flight that looped around the moon in November 2022, experienced similar problems before launch. NASA moved the rocket and Orion capsule back to the Vehicle Assembly Building this week for repairs.
“This is just not the right pathway forward,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, noting the long gap—more than three years—between Artemis I and II. “When you are experiencing some of the same issues between launches, you probably got to take a close look at your process for remediation,” he added.
NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya said the adjustment is intended to accelerate the cadence of launches and ensure the program focuses on effective execution. Isaacman said he wants Artemis launches roughly every ten months; by comparison, Apollo launches averaged about every five months and some Space Shuttle flights occurred nearly every three months.
To support a faster tempo, NASA plans to standardize the SLS design and limit changes to its upper stage starting in 2028, boost staffing, shift some contractor roles to federal positions, and press SpaceX and Blue Origin to speed development of their lunar landers.
Officials framed the new plan as a return to an Apollo-like architecture that separates rendezvous and landing phases. “No one at NASA forgot their history books,” Isaacman said. “They knew how to do this. They’ve had plans like this for a long time now. We’re putting it in action.”
While the agency moves forward with the revised schedule, engineers continue work on the helium pressurization issue. If repairs succeed, NASA could attempt to launch Artemis II as soon as April 1, though no official date has been announced.
