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NASA Hits Pause On Moon Landing Plan, Adds New Test Mission For 2027 Before 2028 Touchdown

NASA is revamping its Artemis moon missions, following weather delays and safety concerns surrounding the Artemis II launch. The future Artemis III will now focus more heavily on testing.

NASA Unveils New Moon Mission Amid Safety Setbacks

NASA is once again shaking up its plans to return to the moon, and if you've been following the Artemis program, this may not come as a huge surprise.

The next crewed mission, Artemis II, has already been pushed back until at least April, following days of weather delays and safety issues.

Now the latest announcement, regarding the future Artemis III mission, reveals NASA is setting their sights on an entirely new goal.

Originally, Artemis III was supposed to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole as early as this year. That landing is now off the immediate calendar.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, integrated for the Artemis II mission, are seen at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 1, 2026 ahead of the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images) — The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, integrated for the Artemis II mission, are seen at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 1, 2026 ahead of the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.
(Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images)

Instead, NASA announced the mission, which will likely launch in 2027, will focus on testing systems in orbit instead of an official moon landing. That includes rendezvous and docking with commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, checking life support systems, testing communications and propulsion and putting new moonwalking suits through their paces.

It’s essentially a dress rehearsal before the real lunar landing attempt, which could now happen in 2028.

NASA leaders say this shift is about standardizing and simplifying.

Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya described it as channeling the mindset of Apollo engineers: build step by step, test thoroughly and move forward.

Acting associate administrator Lori Glaze said the team will be “up to the challenge” of launching Artemis astronauts to the moon every year once the Artemis program proves successful.

But before any of that can happen, teams will need to get the upcoming Artemis II mission off the ground. That means spring weather in Florida could determine the immediate future of the Artemis program.

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