On the 27th, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced an adjustment to the Artemis lunar program, postponing the previously scheduled 2027 manned lunar landing mission to 2028.
According to Xinhua News Agency, under the original plan, the U.S. was to carry out the Artemis II manned lunar flyby mission this year and execute the Artemis III manned lunar landing mission in 2027. In the latest arrangement announced on the 27th, the Artemis III mission will instead conduct a test of systems and operational capabilities in low Earth orbit, while the originally planned lunar landing is shifted to Artemis IV, scheduled for 2028.
According to the new plan, the adjusted Artemis III mission will attempt rendezvous and docking with commercial lunar landers currently being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Integrated on-orbit tests will be conducted, including comprehensive checks of life support, communications, and propulsion systems, as well as tests of the new generation of extravehicular activity suits. NASA will determine further details of this test flight mission after completing a detailed review with its partners.
● Technical Issues in Artemis II Rehearsals
Prior to announcing this adjustment, NASA recently carried out two integrated rehearsals for the Artemis II manned lunar flyby mission, both of which encountered technical problems, leading to repeated launch delays. On the 25th, NASA rolled back the heavy-lift rocket Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft for the mission from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. According to NASA, the mission team is addressing an abnormal helium supply issue in the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage and carrying out various tasks including replacing flight termination system batteries and conducting comprehensive safety inspections.
The Artemis II mission is currently tentatively scheduled for an April launch window, but the final launch time still depends on the results of data analysis and repair progress.
In 2019, the United States announced the Artemis lunar project, and in November 2022 completed the Artemis I uncrewed lunar flyby test mission. Since then, the timelines for subsequent missions have been repeatedly adjusted.