The Next Manned Mission to Moon Faces a 'Risky' Flaw, Experts Say NASA Isn't Taking it Seriously

Former NASA astronauts are raising concerns about a potentially serious flaw facing the agency's next crewed return to the Moon, warning it could place astronauts at risk during surface operations.

The concerns come as NASA prepares for the Artemis 3 mission, planned as the first human lunar landing since 1972, with a target date of the late 2020s.

The warnings were voiced in the US during expert discussions involving scientists, engineers and physicians. They focus on astronaut safety during Moonwalks and how a key system may struggle under real lunar conditions.

How crews move, work and recover on the surface is now under closer scrutiny.

Previous Issues in Manned Missions

Kate Rubins, a former NASA astronaut who retired in 2025, told a panel organised by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that lunar missions pose challenges far beyond those on the International Space Station.

Rubins spent 300 days in space and carried out four spacewalks, giving her direct experience of long-duration missions. During the meeting, she said that NASA already tracks well-known risks such as radiation exposure, muscle and bone loss, and weakened cardiovascular and immune systems.

Rubins stressed that the Moon adds further strain. It lies outside Earth's magnetosphere, exposing crews to higher radiation levels. Lunar dust is fine and abrasive, while gravity is only one-sixth of Earth's.

'What I think we have on the Moon that we don't really have on the space station is an extreme physical stress,' Rubins said, describing lunar EVAs as far more demanding than space station work.

Spacesuit Is the Issue

Experts say the main concern lies with NASA's next-generation lunar spacesuits, which astronauts will rely on throughout surface operations. NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228 million (£165.83 million) fixed-price contract to develop pressurised suits for the Artemis mission.

These suits are designed to support longer and more complex EVAs than those carried out during Apollo.

Weight and Mobility Concerns

The Axiom suit weighs more than 300 pounds on Earth, compared with 185 pounds for Apollo-era suits. A 2021 NASA Inspector General report estimated an earlier prototype could exceed 400 pounds. Rubins said improvements are clear but incomplete. 'I don't think they're great right now,' she said, citing balance issues and limited flexibility that could lead to falls.

Physical Injury Risks

NASA astronaut and physician Mike Barratt told the same panel that training has already shown injury risks.

'We've definitely seen trauma from the suits,' Barratt said, pointing to skin abrasions, joint pain and possible orthopaedic injuries caused by heavy loads and resistance during EVAs.

Falling and Recovery Dangers

Recovering from a fall on the Moon carries added danger. Rubins described it as a 'jumping push-up' that requires lifting both the astronaut and the suit. 'It's a risky manoeuvre,' she said, noting that momentum in partial gravity is difficult to test fully on Earth.

Is NASA Not Taking It Seriously?

Rubins suggested that progress may be overstated. 'When we get something slightly less than horrible, we get all excited and we celebrate,' she said, arguing that suit development receives far less funding than launch systems. Barratt agreed that once astronauts reach the surface, investment in suits becomes critical.

NASA Prepares for Artemis 3 Mission

The warnings come as NASA works towards Artemis 3, intended to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17. NASA hopes to launch the mission by the end of 2028, though schedules depend on suit readiness and lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.

With no rover planned for the first landing, NASA astronauts will depend entirely on their suits, placing renewed focus on a system experts say still faces unresolved risks.