NASA has delayed its planned moon mission from September next year to April 2026, as announced by Director Bill Nelson. This delay also affects the subsequent moon landing, now rescheduled for 2027.
The postponement is necessary to address a heat shield problem discovered after significant damage during an unmanned test flight in 2022. The 2026 mission will include four crew members, and if successful, NASA aims to achieve its first moon landing since 1972 in 2027.
This development comes amid a space race with China’s space agency, which plans a moon landing in 2030. Nelson asserts that NASA’s timeline remains ahead of China’s.
Source: NOS