NASA's Artemis Program faces delays and budget challenges as lunar ambitions shift

NASA's Artemis Program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon, faces significant challenges as it approaches its sixth year. Key issues include delays with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield and uncertainty about the timeline for the Artemis III lunar landing, now unofficially pushed to 2028. The program's future is complicated by a flat NASA budget and increasing competition from China's lunar ambitions. Cuts to other NASA science programs have already occurred to support Artemis, raising concerns about its sustainability and overall success. To improve the program, some suggest canceling the Lunar Gateway and the Block 1B upgrade of the Space Launch System rocket. They propose using the Centaur V as the new upper stage for the SLS rocket to streamline efforts.