NASA is losing four key senior officials close to its flagship moon program, according to people familiar with the changes, adding

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 in a Wednesday news release revealed that associate administrator Jim Free—a major figure in the Artemis moon mission program and a vocal defender of the agency’s lunar exploration efforts—will step down, effective Saturday. The Artemis III lunar landing is tentatively scheduled for mid-2027.

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,