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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Tuesday that it remains on course to send astronauts to orbit the Moon in early 2026, as the United States competes with China in the new lunar race.
The manned mission, known as Artemis 2, has faced multiple delays but is now scheduled for no later than April 2026, with the possibility of launching as early as February.
“We intend to keep that commitment,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, a senior NASA official, during a press briefing.
The crew will include three American astronauts and one Canadian, marking the first human orbit of the Moon in over 50 years. The mission will not land on the lunar surface; that objective is reserved for Artemis 3.
The Artemis programme aims to return humans to the Moon as China advances with its own mission, expected to be completed by 2030. Both nations also plan eventual bases on the lunar surface.
Pressure on NASA has intensified under President Donald Trump’s second term.
He launched the Artemis programme during his first administration and has called for rapid progress towards both the Moon and Mars.
Framing the effort as a “second space race,” the Trump administration has compared it to the Cold War contest with the Soviet Union.
“There is a desire for us to return to the surface of the Moon and to be the first to do so,” Hawkins said, while stressing that NASA’s priority remains safety.
