On Tuesday, NASA announced it was postponing the Artemis 3 mission, which had aimed to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions ended in 1972, as well as the Artemis 2 mission, in which a crew was supposed to fly around the moon without landing. , reports AFP.

“We are adjusting our schedule to target Artemis 2 in September 2025 and Artemis 3 in September 2026,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a press conference.

The Artemis 2 mission was planned for late 2024, and Artemis 3 for late 2025.

There are delays because things take longer than expected. There are problems with the Orion capsule’s batteries, there are delays in preparing the capsule to accommodate a human crew, and there are also delays with the lander that SpaceX is developing.

It should also be said that Elon Musk’s company’s huge Starship rocket, which will play a key role in future missions to the moon, did not reach orbit, but also exploded in April and November last year. The new test is to take place in the first quarter of 2024.

And Blue Origin will develop a landing module for further missions.