NASA's Artemis 2 readies for Moon mission amid government shutdown
NASA's Artemis 2 is aiming to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time since 1972, with launch set for no earlier than February 5, 2026.
Even though a government shutdown began in October, NASA teams—working under White House-approved exemptions—are still working without pay to get the Orion spacecraft stacked on its rocket at Kennedy Space Center.
Astronauts prepping for a 10-day lunar flyby
Astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen (Canada) are prepping for a 10-day lunar flyby.
But timing is everything: if they miss their narrow monthly launch window due to delays or funding issues from the shutdown, the mission could be pushed back by weeks.
Mission critical for US's position in space race
This mission isn't just about going back to the Moon—it's key for testing deep space travel as other countries like China ramp up their own lunar plans.
If funding stalls much longer, it could slow down Artemis 2 and put US leadership in space exploration at risk.