Nasa is planning to make manned trips to the lunar surface every six months from 2028 as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a permanent Moon base.
The agency said it would begin to incorporate more commercially procured and reusable hardware in its lunar trips in a bid to lower the cost of the Artemis programme. Artemis was formally established in 2017 and launched its first uncrewed mission in November 2022 using the long-delayed super heavy-lift launch rocket Space Launch System.
Artemis II, the programme’s first crewed flight, was originally planned to take place in 2024, followed by a crewed landing on the Moon for Artemis III in 2025. However, in December 2024 the agency confirmed it would target April 2026 for Artemis II and mid-2027 for Artemis III, which will now involve the crew conducting tests in low-Earth orbit with commercially developed lunar landers, but without touching down on the Moon’s surface.
Artemis IV, which is scheduled for 2028, will now be the third crewed...