At the core of Isaacman’s concerns is the low flight rate of the SLS rocket and Artemis missions. During past exploration missions, from Mercury through Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle program, NASA has launched humans on average about once every three months. It has been nearly 3.5 years since Artemis I launched.

NASA's Space Launch System rocket is about to depart the launch pad in Florida where it has been vertical for more than a month ahead of Artemis 2.

During the lead-up to NASA’s Artemis 1 mission back in 2022, recurring hydrogen leaks led to significant delays and a cancelled launch attempt. The agency had three years to address the underlying issues with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s ...

NASA and Lockheed Martin, the primary contractor for the Orion spacecraft, are now exploring the possibility of launching Orion on rockets other than the Space Launch System (SLS). This consideration marks a significant shift from previous plans, driven by ...