NASA makes major changes to speed up Artemis program 

Published February 27, 2026 12:17pm ET



NASA announced significant changes on Friday to its Artemis lunar exploration program, restructuring upcoming missions and adjusting development priorities as the agency seeks to accelerate astronauts’ return to the moon following years of delays.

In a news release, NASA said it is adding an additional crewed mission focused on testing critical systems in Earth’s orbit before attempting a lunar landing, part of a broader update to the program’s architecture intended to increase cadence and reduce risk.

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