NASA announced a delay for the next Artemis mission, part of its program to return astronauts to the moon after more than 50 years. Originally set for September 2025, the mission will now happen in April 2026. It will involve four astronauts flying around the moon and returning to Earth. The delay is due to technical problems, including damage to the Orion capsule’s heat shield during a 2022 test flight. The heat shield was damaged by gases that built up and cracked its outer layer during reentry. Engineers investigated the issue and decided to adjust the reentry path for future missions instead of replacing the heat shield, which would cause more delays.

NASA also needs to upgrade other spacecraft systems before the mission. The next mission involving astronauts landing on the moon has been pushed to 2027 at the earliest. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said this timeline keeps the U.S. ahead of China’s goal to reach the moon by 2030. SpaceX is being urged to speed up its work on the Starship rocket for lunar landings. Astronaut Reid Wiseman supported the delay, highlighting the importance of safety and solving technical issues.