NASA's program to return astronauts to the Moon with the SLS rocket and Orion capsule plus commercial landers. Artemis II flew a crewed lunar flyby in April 2026; the schedule for the first landing was restructured in February 2026.
Claims tracked
5
Achieved
2
On track
1
Slipped
2
Dropped
0
Unknown
0
Met on original date
0% (0 of 4 decided)
Average delay where late
33 months
Timeline of claims
Timeline key: dot = announced, diamond = original target, coloured dot = outcome or current target, dashed line = today.
NASA: End of 2017
AchievedArtemis
First flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket by the end of 2017, as announced when NASA unveiled the design.
Announced
Original target
End of 2017
Achieved
Nov 16, 2022
Months late
Delivered 59 months after the original target
Source confidence
Primary or official source checked
Last verified
Artemis I flew uncrewed on Nov 16, 2022 and lasted about 25 days. Interim dates were revised several times between 2011 and 2022; only the original target is shown here.
Return American astronauts to the Moon by 2024 (US Vice President Pence, relaying the White House policy; NASA accepted the goal).
Short quote: “within the next five years”
Announced
Original target
By 2024
Current target
February 2028 (NASA now targets early 2028 for the first crewed Artemis landing (Artemis IV))
Months late
Current target is 38 months after the original
Source confidence
Primary or official source checked
Last verified
The 2024 goal was later replaced by 2025, then September 2026 (art-2), then 2027, and now 2028. Artemis III is now a 2027 Earth-orbit docking test with commercial landers, not a landing.
Artemis II, the first crewed Orion flight around the Moon, launching in November 2024 (the date before NASA's January 2024 move to September 2025).
Announced
(date of the NASA release that restates the Nov 2024 target)
Original target
November 2024
Achieved
Apr 1, 2026
Months late
Delivered 17 months after the original target
Source confidence
Primary or official source checked
Last verified
Launched April 1, 2026 from Pad 39B; splashdown April 10, 2026 after a lunar flyby. Interim targets: Sept 2025 (Jan 2024), April 2026 (Dec 2024). The date when November 2024 was first announced was not verified.
Artemis III as a crewed Earth-orbit test of rendezvous and docking with commercial lander test articles, in 2027 (mid-2027 per NASA architecture update).
Announced
Original target
Mid-2027
Months late
Not applicable
Source confidence
Primary or official source checked
Last verified
Crew named and SLS hardware in processing per NASA. Depends on Starship and/or Blue Moon test articles being ready; neither had flown its propellant-transfer or lander pathfinder milestones as of the evidence date.