NASA Revises Moon Lander Plans and Finally Closes a Long-Running Orion Problem

NASA has revised its plans for the lunar landers that are meant to carry astronauts down to the Moon's surface, according to a new update from the agency. The changes come as the program works toward its next crewed lunar missions.

The update also says NASA has finally resolved an Orion issue that had been dragging on for a long time. Orion is the crew capsule that is meant to carry astronauts to lunar orbit, so a lingering problem with it has been a concern for the program. The source material does not spell out the technical details of the fix, so it is not clear from the update how the problem was resolved or how much it delayed the schedule.

NASA's message was short and upbeat. In the update, the agency said it has "the mandate, the resources, and the support from our stakeholders" to keep moving forward. That is a confident statement, but the update leaves open questions about specific timelines and budgets. Readers should look for follow-up details from NASA before drawing firm conclusions about when the next landings could happen.