'Launch when we're ready': NASA delaying return to moon to troubleshoot safety issues

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - NASA is dealing with new setbacks on its missions back to the moon. The agency just announced on Tuesday that Artemis II was delayed. NASA is now targeting September 2025 for the mission to send astronauts around the moon.  

At a press briefing, NASA also said Artemis III, the mission where astronauts will walk on the moon, is also delayed to September 2026. 

"As we prepare to send our friends and colleagues on this mission, we’re committed to launching as safely as possible, and we will launch when we’re ready," said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.

NASA isn’t ready and says several issues relating to life support and spacecraft safety need work. 

Scientists are troubleshooting an issue with Artemis I with the heat shield.

"We were not expecting pieces of that char to be liberated from the vehicle, and so we need to make sure we understand the transport and debris transport phenomena that caused that," said Amit Kshatriya, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Moon to Mars program. 

NASA found other issues with air ventilation and temperature control on the Orion spacecraft. 

These delays aren’t the only setback for NASA this week. A lunar lander on its way to the moon right now is in crisis.

On Tuesday, the company Astrobotic announced on social media that the lander will run out of fuel in about 40 hours because of a propellant leak. NASA relied on that lander to survey the moon’s surface before sending astronauts. 

But, the company NASA contracted says there is "no chance of a soft landing on the moon."

"Safety is our top priority," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. 

That priority means NASA won’t rush the Artemis mission. With human lives on the line, more testing and time are needed before going back to the moon and beyond.