Astronauts see the Orion capsule in which they will fly to the moon in 2024

Four astronauts considered their future transport -- the Orion capsule, on which they will fly to the moon in 2024. The capsule is located at the Kennedy Space Center and is being acoustically tested before being integrated with the service module. Preparatory work is proceeding according to plan, but NASA warns that there may be delays.

By the end of next year, NASA plans to send four astronauts (Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, First Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, Second Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen) around the moon as part of the Artemis II mission. However, the process of developing the ideal heat shield for the capsule could delay the schedule for the first manned mission to the Moon in half a century. Problems with the screen became apparent after an uncrewed test flight around the moon last year, when part of the screen charred and fell away. This shield plays a key role in protecting the capsule from overheating during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

The next mission in the Artemis program, the moon landing, faces even greater challenges and may be pushed back from late 2025 to 2026. The main problem remains the SpaceX Starship rocket, which will have to deliver two NASA astronauts to the south pole of the moon. With just one failed test flight of Starship, which ended in an explosion shortly after liftoff in April, many people at NASA are worried about the timing of Starship's readiness. The ship will have to make several orbital flights, implement in-space refueling techniques and successfully demonstrate a landing on the moon.

Jim Free, head of NASA's Exploration Systems Engineering Division, stressed that the agency expects a clearer picture by the fall to better determine progress and decide next steps.