NASA cancels Artemis 3 moon landing and moves first crewed landing to Artemis 4

NASA announced that Artemis 3 will no longer land astronauts and will instead perform an Earth-orbit rendezvous in 2027; the agency now plans the first crewed lunar landing for Artemis 4 in 2028.

NASA has revised its Artemis sequence so that Artemis 3 will not land astronauts on the moon but will instead perform an Earth-orbit rendezvous in 2027, while the first crewed lunar landing is now slated for Artemis 4 in 2028. The agency cited concerns about the readiness of privately developed Human Landing System vehicles and a recent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel report when explaining the change. NASA also plans to standardize the Space Launch System design and increase launch cadence to shorten gaps between missions. Teams continue repair work on the Artemis 2 SLS rocket after a post-fueling helium pressurization issue that required the vehicle to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building for inspection and repairs. Key developments: - Artemis 3 is redefined as an Earth-orbit rendezvous in 2027 rather than a crewed lunar landing. - The first planned crewed landing is now targeted for Artemis 4 in 2028, with a possible second landing on Artemis 5 later that year. - NASA cited concerns about HLS readiness and recommendations from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel as reasons for the change. - Artemis 2 remains scheduled with April launch window opportunities while engineers diagnose and repair SLS hardware and procedures. Summary: This revision reduces near-term reliance on unproven lunar lander capabilities and shifts the first crewed surface landing to a later mission. Upcoming steps include continued work to return the Artemis 2 SLS to the pad for its April launch windows and preparations for the Artemis 3 rendezvous in 2027 and Artemis 4 landing in 2028.