Safety comes 1st for Artemis moon missions despite 'space race' with China, NASA chief says

A man in a suit sits at a table covered in microphones in a large wood-paneled room.

A U.S. Senate committee heard from the head of NASA what the nature of a developmental mission means: sometimes, you need to wait.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson, while mindful of what he calls a "space race" with China to establish a sustained presence on the moon, said Thursday (May 23) he will only commit to the current Artemis 2 liftoff date of September 2025 if astronaut safety is not compromised.