WASHINGTON: The USA is pushing again its deliberate return of astronauts to the floor of the Moon from 2025 to 2026, NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson stated Tuesday (Jan 9) amid technical challenges and delays.
Artemis, named after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, was formally introduced in 2017 as a part of the US house company’s plans to determine a sustained presence on Earth’s nearest house neighbour and apply classes realized there for a future mission to Mars.
Its first mission, an uncrewed check flight to the Moon and again referred to as Artemis 1, passed off in 2022, after a number of postponements.
Artemis 2, involving a crew that does not land on the floor, has been postponed from later this yr to September 2025, Nelson informed reporters.
Artemis 3, by which the primary lady and first individual of color are to set foot on lunar soil on the Moon’s south pole, ought to happen in September 2026.
“Security is our high precedence, and to present Artemis groups extra time to work by means of the challenges,” stated Nelson.
NASA can also be seeking to construct a lunar house station referred to as Gateway the place spacecraft will dock throughout later missions.