NASA Overhauls Moon Program, Adds Another Mission Before Lunar Landing

A mission to Earth orbit was added in 2027. The manned lunar landing is still slated for 2028.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (L) at the Kennedy Space Center launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2026. NASA via AP

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced sweeping changes to the Artemis moon program on Feb. 27, adding an extra mission next year to better prepare for a lunar landing in 2028.

“The idea is we want to reduce complexity to the greatest extent possible,” he said at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center. “We want to accelerate manufacturing, pull in the hardware, and increase launch rate, which obviously has a direct safety consideration to it as well.”