Miss the Artemis news? Recapping the latest on NASA lunar campaign
NASA's path to returning astronauts to the moon is taking somewhat of a detour.
Under a plan unveiled at the end of February, the U.S. space agency outlined a fresh vision for its Artemis lunar program. Most prominently, that includes a brand new mission before the first lunar landing in more than 50 years – and the first of potentially two lunar landings in 2028 – is attempted.
What's more, NASA is working toward ramping up the launch cadence of the towering Space Launch System rocket specifically developed for its lunar program from once every three or so years to once every 10 months.
The shakeup is part of NASA's overhaul of its Artemis campaign as the space agency envisions launching more missions before and after a historic moon landing. So far, just one uncrewed Artemis mission, launched in 2022, has been completed since the program's conception nine years ago – though a mission known as Artemis 2 could be weeks away.
"Launching a lunar rocket every three years is not a strategy consistent with success," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a video posted Friday, Feb. 27 on social media site X. "This is by far the lowest launch cadence in the history of America's space program."
Whether you missed news of NASA's Artemis revamp or just need a recap, here's everything to know about the latest as NASA prepares for its upcoming Artemis 2 mission .
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What is Artemis? What to know about NASA's lunar missions
NASA's Artemis program is the agency's ambitious campaign to return Americans to the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo era came to an end in 1972 . The lunar south pole is where water ice is thought to be abundant that could be extracted and used for drinking , breathing and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel for missions to Mars.
The Artemis campaign was conceived in 2017 under the first term of President Donald Trump , who has signaled he wants to see a moon landing before the end of his second term.
Under NASA shakeup, Artemis 4 to land on moon
NASA was prepared to attempt a moon landing under the Artemis 3 mission. But now, that mission is being targeted for 2028 as part of Artemis 4.
After that, NASA will be "undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter," including a second possible lunar landing later in 2028, the agency said in a Friday, Feb. 27 press release .
Artemis 3 to attempt lunar lander meet-up, test space suits
Artemis 3 will instead be the name of a new mission planned for 2027.
Instead of a moon landing, astronauts aboard NASA's Orion capsule will rendezvous and dock Earth orbit with at least one of the commercial lunar landers being developed by Elon Musk 's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin . NASA will also use the mission to test space suits, known as extravehicular activity suits, being developed by Axiom Space for astronauts on the lunar surface.
The additional mission, Isaacman said in the video, is because "we cannot always just straight to the desired end-state."
"We need less needless complexity, less distraction, more launches, more operational muscle memory and an extreme focus on the mission," Isaacman concluded.
Elon Musk 's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, develop landers
Both billionaire-owned SpaceX and Blue Origin are under contract with NASA to develop lunar landers for future astronaut missions to the moon's surface.
SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002 , is working on a configuration of its Starship spacecraft that can meet astronauts on the Orion capsule in lunar orbit and ferry them to the surface.
Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Bezos , is also working on its Blue Moon lander – an uncrewed Mark 1 version of which could make a lunar landing in 2026.
Did Artemis 2 launch? What to know about launch date
NASA's Artemis 2 mission has slipped by at least two months from the space agency's initial target launch date in February. Now, NASA simply hopes to preserve launch opportunities beginning April 1 following the latest issue discovered with the giant Space Launch System rocket's upper stage.
Why has Artemis 2 been delayed? SLS rolled off Florida launch pad
The Space Launch System rocket, which was first rolled out Jan. 17 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida recently departed the launch pad for repairs .
Now, the giant 322-foot rocket – built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman – is back in NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building , where spacecraft are prepared for launch, as engineers work to fix an issue in which helium was not properly flowing to the rocket's upper stage. Helium is required for a launch, as it helps with engine purging and pressurizing fuel tanks.
Before encountering the issue, NASA officials had appeared optimistic that a successful fueling test had set the stage for a March launch . That test, known as a wet dress rehearsal, was the second after an earlier demonstration in February uncovered liquid hydrogen leaks that forced an earlier delay.
Is Artemis 2 going to the moon?
The Artemis 2 astronauts won't be making a lunar landing, but will instead circle the moon on a 10-day trip to test systems and hardware for future expeditions to the surface.
The Orion capsule the crew will pilot – built by Lockheed Martin – is due to travel about 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon, taking its passengers the farthest humans have ever ventured in space before returning to Earth. While NASA tested its spacecraft during the Artemis 1 mission in 2022, Artemis 2 will be the first time that the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule will fly with humans aboard.
Who are the astronauts on the Artemis 2 mission?
The crew of Artemis 2 includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman , Victor Glover and Christina Koch , as well as the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen .
Koch and Glover represent the first woman and first African American , respectively, assigned to a NASA lunar mission. Additionally, Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to fly close to the moon.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Artemis 2 launch delay includes program shakeup. Moon missions update
