NASA has postponed the return of humans to the Moon, citing several reasons for the delay

The American space agency NASA has delayed the highly anticipated return to the Moon by almost a year. The Artemis II mission, initially set for launch in November 2024, has now been rescheduled for at least September 2025.

Scientists argue that additional time is necessary to analyze why the heat shield of the space capsule produced hazardous burning debris during its return to Earth in the Artemis I mission. This information is detailed in NASA's official statement on their website.

Ensuring the safety of the crew remains the primary reason for the adjustments to the Artemis II flight schedule.

"We are returning to the Moon like never before, and the safety of our astronauts is NASA's top priority as we prepare for future Artemis missions," stated NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "We've learned a lot since Artemis 1, and the success of these first missions depends on our commercial and international partnerships to advance our capabilities and understanding of humanity's place in our solar system. Artemis represents what we can achieve as a nation - and as a global coalition. When we focus on what is difficult, together we can achieve great things."

The Orion capsule, which re-entered Earth's atmosphere on December 11, 2022, at a speed exceeding 38,000 km per hour, experienced intense heat of approximately 2760 degrees Celsius. During a deceleration maneuver, charred material unexpectedly peeled off Orion's heat shield.

NASA later acknowledged that they did not anticipate the heat shield to burn and deteriorate to such an extent. Given the capsule's high speed, this could pose potential dangers.

Over the course of a year, the space agency analyzed the potentially hazardous debris. Based on the investigation's results, NASA declared that crew members on board Orion would not have been injured. However, there remains a possibility of astronaut injuries if the capsule were oriented differently during descent.

This identified reason for the mission postponement is NASA's endeavor to comprehensively understand the incident and implement preventive measures for future missions.

The Artemis mission aims to return humanity to the Moon and establish a permanent lunar base, with progression happening gradually.

Artemis II is the inaugural test of the spacecraft, intending to send four astronauts - Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - on a journey around the Moon and back in September 2025. Subsequently, in September 2026, Artemis III is scheduled to land the first astronauts at the Moon's south pole. The launch of Artemis IV, the initial mission to the Gateway lunar space station, is planned for 2028.