The United States is delaying its planned return to the Moon from 2026 to “mid-2027,” citing heat shield issues and other problems affecting its Orion crew capsule, NASA officials announced Thursday.

The announcement comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January and could significantly reshape the direction of the U.S. space agency.

Artemis, named for Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology, was unveiled in 2017 as part of NASA’s ambitious program to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and apply those lessons to possible missions to Mars.

Its first mission, Artemis 1, was an uncrewed test flight to the Moon and back in 2022 after several delays.

But teams that reviewed the data later learned that Orion’s heat shield had unexpectedly eroded and that there were also problems with its electrical and life support systems.

“We were able to recreate the problem here on Earth, and now we know the root cause, and that has allowed us to chart a path forward,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told reporters at a press conference.

The issues pushed back the entire Artemis timeline. Artemis 2, a crewed lunar flyby, has been postponed from September 2025 to April 2026. Artemis 3, intended to see the first woman and first person of color set foot on the Moon’s ice-rich south pole, is now planned for “mid-2027.”

The Orion spacecraft’s heat shield after the Artemis I test flight was removed from the crew module inside the Operations and Control Building and rotated for inspection at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. P.A.

“This will be well ahead of the intention announced by the Chinese government and already publicly declared by 2030,” Nelson added. “The safety of our astronauts is always our first decision. It’s our North Star. We don’t fly until we’re ready.”

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy expanded on the heat shield problem, explaining that during atmospheric reentry, gases built up inside the shield, creating internal pressure that caused cracks and collapse. of pieces.

In addition to Orion’s troubles, NASA is awaiting a modified version of SpaceX’s Starship rocket to serve as a lunar lander.

Although SpaceX is making rapid progress through flight testing, it still faces significant hurdles, including proving it can perform complex refueling in orbit. Spacesuits for Artemis, developed by Axiom, are also in development.

Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, signaling a likely shift toward even closer collaboration with the commercial space sector during his second term.

Observers anticipate radical changes – from the possible cancellation of the expensive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket used for Artemis to the complete abandonment of the Moon mission in favor of Mars.

“Keep Away”

Nelson, however, defended the Moon First strategy, citing the importance of prospecting its south pole for deposits of water ice that could power human bases and provide rocket fuel for missions deeper into space .

“It’s important, in a region where we think is so promising… that we establish our presence there, so that China isn’t there and saying ‘stay away’.”

Isaacman’s appointment has sparked concerns about possible conflicts of interest, given his close financial ties to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who is both a key adviser to Trump and expected to co-lead a government commission on efficiency.

The 41-year-old founder of Shift4 Payments became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk in September during a SpaceX mission. He has also spoken out publicly against NASA’s choice to choose Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to develop a second Moon landing system, arguing that Starship alone is sufficient.

Nelson emphasized: “We have contracts with two companies for the landers – as long as we are a nation of law, these contracts will remain operational.”

But he also struck a diplomatic tone, saying he called Isaacman to congratulate him and that he remained “optimistic” about NASA’s future under the new administration.

Agence France-Presse