NASA delays moon landing to 2028 and repurposes Artemis III as an in-orbit test
Feb 28th 2026
NASA announced it will not land astronauts on the moon in 2027, shifting Artemis III to in-orbit testing and aiming for two crewed lunar landings in 2028 after recent SLS rocket problems.
- NASA will not land astronauts on the moon in 2027 and will convert Artemis III into an in-orbit test mission.
- The agency now plans two crewed lunar landings in 2028 under Artemis IV and Artemis V.
- The change follows recent problems with the Space Launch System for Artemis II, including helium flow issues and earlier hydrogen leaks that forced a March launch target to be scrapped.
- The next launch window for Artemis II opens in early April.
- Administrator Jared Isaacman said NASA will work to increase SLS launch cadence to about once every 10 months and standardize production.
- The gap between the Artemis I launch and upcoming missions will be more than three years, creating schedule pressure.