Should it continue the Artemis program and establish a lunar base, or shift its focus directly to Mars? While using the Moon as a stepping stone could be a more efficient approach, a direct Mars mission would be faster but far riskier.

Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), speaks at a press conference to discuss progress for Artemis II mission around the Moon and back to Earth with a crew of four astronauts,

NASA faces uncertainty as key leaders, including Jim Free, retire. The leadership vacuum raises doubts about the Artemis moon mission, especially amid pressures from SpaceX's Elon Musk to prioritize Mars exploration.

The US space agency is losing four senior officials, insiders say, including a key defender of the Artemis missions Nasa is losing four key senior officials close to its flagship moon programme, according to people familiar with the changes,