NASA’s ambitious Artemis missions, aiming to return human boots to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era, may face a significant setback, according to a new study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The study reveals concerns over delays in the Artemis missions and suggests a possible delay in the timeline, pushing back the mission to land humans on the Moon’s surface from 2025 to 2027.
The first mission, Artemis I, took place in November last year but experienced several setbacks that raised concerns for the overall mission. Some components of the mission were nearing their end-of-life date, adding further pressure to meet the ambitious timeline set by NASA.
Artemis II plans to send astronauts around the Moon, while Artemis III aims to achieve the historic goal of landing on the Moon’s surface. However, the GAO study emphasizes that delays in the development of the Human Landing System and other key events, such as SpaceX’s Starship explosion during testing, contribute to its lack of confidence in NASA’s current schedule.
SpaceX, responsible for providing the first version of the Human Landing System, is struggling with technical complexities and the need for a system capable of both landing on and taking off from the Moon. These hurdles have resulted in a delay in the development process.
The GAO study also mentions the challenges in developing key systems like new spacesuits. Axiom Space and other companies are still working on ensuring sufficient emergency air supply and meeting other requirements for the next lunar missions.
While there is a possibility for NASA and SpaceX to overcome these challenges and meet the current timeline, it remains uncertain if the concerns raised by the GAO will lead to a notable delay in the highly anticipated Artemis III mission.
However, a potential delay until 2027 would offer NASA and other involved entities more time to prepare for this historic space mission, which has been eagerly anticipated for the past fifty years. The delay could also provide an opportunity to address any remaining technical issues and ensure the safety and success of the mission.
As NASA and its partners continue to navigate these challenges, the world eagerly awaits further developments in the Artemis missions and the potential for humans to return to the Moon in the near future.
