NASA’s Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo, has been delayed again, now targeting 2027 at the earliest. This is the second delay announced this year. Artemis I, an uncrewed spacecraft that orbited the Moon, launched in November 2022. Artemis II, originally planned for 2023 as a crewed test mission, was postponed to 2025 and has now been pushed back further to 2026. “We do not fly until we are ready,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We need to do the next test flight, and we need to do it right. That’s how the Artemis program proceeds.” One of NASA’s pressing concerns is competition with China, which has announced plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. “We plan to launch Artemis 3 in mid-2027,” Nelson said. “That will be well ahead of the Chinese government’s announced intention for 2030.” Speculation has also arisen about the future of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). Rumors suggest the incoming Trump administration could replace it with Elon Musk’s Starship. Such a shift—or further delays—could increase the chance of China reaching the Moon first. The stakes remain high as the global space race intensifies, and NASA strives to ensure the Artemis missions succeed. The post NASA Delays Moon Landing Again as Space Race With China Heats Up appeared first on Anomalien.com.