New Artemis Plan Returns To Apollo Playbook

NASA has officially revised the Artemis lunar program timeline, pushing the first crewed Moon landing to 2028 during Artemis IV. The new plan mirrors the phased Apollo approach: Artemis II (April launch) tests the Orion capsule near the Moon without a lander, Artemis III (2027) becomes a low Earth orbit test of the Human Landing System with crew aboard, and Artemis IV makes the actual landing attempt. Delays in SpaceX and Blue Origin lander development, plus Axiom Space EVA suit schedule slippage, drove the restructuring. The revised architecture provides more time for commercial partners and adds crewed lander testing before committing to a lunar surface mission.