NASA Replans Artemis Missions For Safer Landings

NASA announced on Feb. 2026 that Artemis III will no longer land humans on the Moon but instead perform technology tests in Low Earth orbit, while Artemis IV becomes the first crewed lunar landing targeted for 2028. The shift, prompted by Artemis II delays, recurring technical issues and workforce cuts, aims to standardize the SLS upper stage, reduce mission risk, and accelerate annual landings.