Updated 12 p.m. Eastern with additional details and comments.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 NASA announced major changes to its Artemis lunar architecture, adding a test flight of lunar landers in low Earth orbit while canceling planned upgrades to the Space Launch System.<\/p>\n
At a Feb. 27 briefing, NASA said it would change the schedule of upcoming Artemis missions to add a flight in 2027 where Orion will rendezvous and dock with lunar landers from Blue Origin and\/or SpaceX while in low Earth orbit. The mission would also test a new spacesuit being developed by Axiom Space.<\/p>\n
That new mission will be named Artemis 3, which had been reserved for the first crewed lunar landing attempt. Under the new plan, the first lunar landing would be attempted on Artemis 4 in 2028, with the possibility of an Artemis 5 in late 2028.<\/p>\n
The new Artemis 3 would be analogous to Apollo 9, a mission in early 1969 that was the first test of the Lunar Module in space, including docking tests in low Earth orbit.<\/p>\n
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the new mission would allow NASA to move at a faster rate as it faces competition from China, which is planning its first crewed lunar lander for around 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cNASA must standardize its approach, increase flight rate safely and execute on the President\u2019s\u00a0national space policy,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cWith credible competition from our\u00a0greatest\u00a0geopolitical adversary\u00a0increasing by the day, we need to move faster,\u00a0eliminate\u00a0delays and\u00a0achieve our\u00a0objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of those changes to increase flight rate, NASA said it was abandoning plans to upgrade the SLS after Artemis 3. The first three SLS launches use the Block 1 configuration, with the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) as the upper stage. Future SLS launches were to use the Block 1B version, with the larger Exploration Upper Stage.<\/p>\n
Instead, NASA said it will no longer develop the Block 1B, using instead a \u201cnear Block 1\u201d configuration. The agency did not disclose details on the specific upper stage it will use; the ICPS is based on the upper stage for the Delta 4, which is no longer in production.<\/p>\n
Maintaining the Block 1 configuration is intended to allow for a faster flight rate. Isaacman has publicly expressed frustration with the low flight rate of SLS \u2014 Artemis 2, the second SLS launch, will take place more than three years after Artemis 1 \u2014 that he believes may explain the issues such as hydrogen leaks seen during preparations for Artemis 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaunching a rocket as important and as complex as SLS every three years is not a path to success,\u201d Isaacman said at the briefing after comparing the technical issues seen during both Artemis 1 and 2. \u201cWhen you\u2019re launching every three years, your skills atrophy.\u201d<\/p>\n