NASA's ISS evacuation won't delay Artemis 2 Moon mission

Technology Jan 09, 2026

NASA is bringing some astronauts home early from the International Space Station because of health issues, but this won't affect their big Moon plans.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman reassured everyone on January 8 that the ISS crew changes and the Artemis 2 mission are separate.
Artemis 2, which will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time since 1972, is still on track for launch on February 5, 2026.

Crew swaps and what's next for Artemis

Crew-12 is set to replace Crew-11 (which includes Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov) around mid-February.
NASA might even bump up Crew-12's launch to keep things running smoothly aboard the ISS.
Meanwhile, all prep work for Artemis continues as planned.