As reported by Ukrinform with reference to: NASA told CNN that the Artemis III mission to land humans on the moon will not take place until at least September 2026, although it was previously planned for 2025.

The main reason for the mission’s delay is the company SpaceX’s delay in the development of Starship, a giant rocket-space system that is supposed to deliver astronauts from lunar orbit to the south pole of the natural satellite. Two test flights of Starship in 2023 ended in explosions.

In addition, the problem of delivering the required amount of fuel for a flight to the moon needs to be solved.

SpaceX could receive the necessary regulatory approvals for Starship’s third test flight by February, SpaceX Vice President Jessica Jensen told reporters on Tuesday.

NASA officials said they also expect delays in the development of spacesuits that astronauts will wear on the moon. It was SpaceX Starship preparation and spacesuit development that caused the Artemis III mission to be postponed.

There have also been reports of problems preparing the Orion capsule to accommodate astronauts during the flight. The thermal shield that protected Orion from fire charred and unexpectedly collapsed during a retest of the device’s entry into Earth’s atmosphere in 2022, according to NASA.

Work on the life support system of the Orion capsule will also continue.

After Artemis III, NASA aims to launch the Artemis IV mission to send astronauts to the Gateway space station, which will orbit the moon in 2028.

The main purpose of the Artemis program is to ensure the permanent existence of humans on the moon.

China, which plans to land its own astronauts on the lunar surface by the end of the decade, has set itself the same task.