UPDATE: Artemis 1 encountered further delays, pushing the launch window back to November. This is a combination of technical difficulties and Hurricane Ian. Overall, the first mission is five years behind schedule. 

Artemis 1, the first step the Artemis program is planned to take in its ultimate goal to send humans back to the moon, has been delayed due to an engine problem. One of four core engines failed and was unable to be fixed in time for the scheduled launch on August 29. Artemis 1 is intended to be a trial run of future Artemis spaceships — the rocket will assume a retrograde orbit once in space without a crew. 

Regardless of the delay, the Artemis program itself is key to humans reaching Mars. The Artemis program will succeed the Apollo program in sending humans into space farther than ever before. NASA hopes to land its astronauts on the moon in 2025 via Artemis III. The mission will be tasked with creating a lunar base which makes reaching Mars easier. This is due to the Moon’s low gravity compared to that on Earth.