Citing “crew safety,” NASA delays upcoming Artemis missions by about a year

Enlarge / Orion, the Earth, and the Moon, captured during the Artemis I mission. (credit: NASA)

Citing "crew safety" as the agency's chief priority, NASA officials outlined a new schedule for the Artemis lunar program on Tuesday. The roughly one-year delay for each of the next three missions came as little surprise, given the significant amount of work left to be done before astronauts can return to the Moon later this decade.

"Safety is our top priority," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a teleconference with reporters.

The new dates, according to NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free, are: