NASA retools Artemis: staged moon program replaces immediate lunar landing

NASA says Artemis III will no longer land astronauts on the Moon and will instead pursue an incremental path: Artemis II will fly around the Moon this year, Artemis III will test essential technologies in low-Earth orbit by mid-2027, and Artemis IV could land on the Moon in 2028 with Artemis V potentially following. The shift, urged by a safety panel amid delays and glitches, emphasizes learning and reducing risk before attempting a lunar landing and outlines a sequence of missions leading to eventual lunar surface operations.