Artemis II Delayed Again to April 2026; Artemis III to Mid-2027

NASA announced a second major delay. Artemis II was pushed from September 2025 to April 2026. Artemis III was pushed from late 2026 to mid-2027. The root cause of the heat shield anomaly was confirmed: skip reentry's lower-than-expected heating rates allowed gas pressure buildup in Avcoat, causing cracking. NASA's resolution was to modify the reentry trajectory rather than replace the heat shield material — a significant design change.