A small robotic lander developed by a private company recently landed near the moon’s south pole with a scientific payload for NASA, marking the first American spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years.

Despite tipping over on its side, this event is part of NASA’s broader lunar program called Artemis, which seeks to return humans to the moon, establish an outpost at the south pole, and eventually venture on to Mars.

The Artemis program, previewed in 2021, is facing significant challenges related to costs and timelines.

In January, NASA announced a new target for a manned landing in late 2026, a year later than initially planned. However, there are doubts about the feasibility of even this revised timeline.

The Artemis I mission in November 2022 had a nearly flawless launch, sending NASA’s new space launch system rocket on a successful test flight, CBS News reported.

The subsequent Artemis II flight, meant to carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby, was initially planned for this year, followed by Artemis III a year later, landing the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.

However, the program is encountering unforeseen challenges that may impact its original schedule.

Written by B.C. Begley