NASA's lunar exploration program is facing serious problems on its way to its next manned mission. The Artemis II mission, scheduled for 2025, is expected to return astronauts to lunar orbit, but a test flight of the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis I mission revealed a number of technical flaws that threaten the safety of future crews and may cause problems with the mission's timeline.

As reported by Space.com, NASA's Office of the Inspector General published a report detailing these issues on May 1. The most serious of them concerns the thermal protection system of the Orion spacecraft. In more than 100 places, the insulating material was excessively worn away by re-entry during the landing, chunks of the charred material began to tear from the spacecraft, some even stuck to the windows, which could later obstruct the pilots, blocking their view.

In addition, inspectors found problems with mounting screws and power distribution on the spacecraft. All of these deficiencies could jeopardize the success and safety of astronaut flight.

At the same time, the report emphasizes that NASA has too little time to improve and test the new systems, since the launch is already planned in less than two years, and any delay in the schedule will not allow to meet the mission deadlines.

The Artemis I lunar exploration mission was successfully completed in December 2022. As part of the second phase of the program, Artemis II, astronauts are expected to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Artemis II, scheduled for September 2025, will be the first manned mission beyond Earth orbit since Apollo 17. As part of the third phase of the mission, Artemis III, astronauts will land on the surface of the Moon.