Nasa Artemis Moon missions face risk from ageing launch infrastructure, says report

Nasa’s plans to return astronauts to the Moon under the Artemis program could face a major challenge from ageing launch infrastructure that dates back to the Apollo era.

A new report released by Nasa’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) warns that key launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia are rapidly approaching their operational limits. The watchdog says increasing launch activity from Nasa and commercial space companies is putting decades-old infrastructure under unprecedented strain, and the agency will need at least $1 billion in upgrades to keep pace.

According to the report, launch demand at both sites is expected to reach near-capacity between 2028 and 2029. Although Congress allocated $250 million for infrastructure improvements through Nasa’s 2025 funding package, the OIG says that amount covers only a fraction of the required investment.

The pressure comes as Nasa’s Artemis missions ramp up alongside an expanding commercial launch market led by companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Shared infrastructure, including roads, power systems, gas pipelines, and fuel distribution networks originally built during the 1960s Apollo program, now supports far more launches than it was ever designed to handle.

Nasa-supported launches from Florida’s Space Coast increased dramatically, rising from 31 launches in 2020 to 109 in 2025. Wallops experienced an even sharper percentage increase, growing from just three launches in 2020 to 17 last year. Nasa expects launch activity at both facilities to increase by another 150 per cent by the end of the decade.

The watchdog noted that launch counts alone do not reflect the full strain on infrastructure. Every mission requires days or weeks of preparation, vehicle movement, fueling operations, testing, and ground support before liftoff.

While Wallops recently underwent upgrades across its seven active launch sites to support rockets such as Rocket Lab’s upcoming Neutron and Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha, Kennedy Space Centre faces much greater challenges due to the number of heavy-lift missions planned over the next several years.

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Several of the busiest launch pads are expected to support multiple major programs simultaneously. These include Launch Complex 39A, currently used by SpaceX, Launch Complex 39B for Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS), Space Launch Complex 40 for Falcon 9 missions, ULA’s Space Launch Complex 41, and Blue Origin’s Space Launch Complex 36.

SpaceX is preparing to begin Starship launches from LC-39A while also developing another Starship launch complex at SLC-37. Once Starship becomes fully operational, the company expects to conduct up to 44 launches annually from LC-39A and another 76 launches each year from SLC-37. That translates to roughly one Starship launch every eight days, with even higher launch frequencies required to support future Artemis missions.

Nasa’s Artemis architecture adds another layer of complexity. Orion spacecraft will continue launching aboard the SLS rocket from LC-39B, while astronauts will rely on SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon for lunar landings.

For Artemis 4, currently targeted for 2028, Orion will dock with Starship in Earth orbit before heading toward lunar orbit. To make that possible, Starship will require at least 15 tanker launches to refuel in orbit before departing for the Moon. Those additional launches will significantly increase traffic at already crowded launch facilities.

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Blue Origin also faces similar challenges. Its Blue Origin lunar lander will launch aboard the New Glenn rocket, which itself will require multiple supporting missions for future lunar operations. The report notes that Blue Origin has already informed Nasa that a single launch pad may not provide enough long-term capacity for its expanding launch schedule.

Beyond launch pads, the OIG highlighted problems with common-use infrastructure shared by multiple operators. These include a massive electrical grid, 231 miles of roads, and more than 40 miles of gaseous nitrogen and helium pipelines that supply launch vehicles during fueling operations.

Many of these roads were paved in the 1960s without anticipating the repeated movement of today’s much heavier rocket stages. Similarly, the existing gaseous nitrogen (GN2) distribution system cannot simultaneously support multiple high-flow launch campaigns.

The report cites preparations for Blue Origin’s first New Glenn mission as an example, where limited GN2 availability created major scheduling challenges. Looking ahead, Nasa expects even greater conflicts during Artemis missions.

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For Artemis 3, currently planned for 2027, Nasa expects launches of SLS, New Glenn, and multiple Starship missions within a relatively short period. The OIG warns that Kennedy Space Centre will not be able to supply enough gaseous nitrogen for simultaneous SLS and New Glenn launch campaigns, potentially creating one-to-two-month blackout periods for critical launch operations.

Nasa maintenance budget

The watchdog also found that Nasa’s maintenance budget has failed to keep pace with growing commercial demand. Existing federal funding rules prevent the agency from directly collecting infrastructure upgrade funds from commercial companies leasing Nasa facilities. In some cases, accepting commercial investments could reduce Nasa’s own congressional appropriations or violate federal spending laws.

To address these challenges, the Inspector General recommends three immediate actions:

Conduct a detailed assessment and mitigation plan for roadway damage caused by heavy-lift vehicle transportation.

Prioritise maintenance funding for shared launch infrastructure, including roads, electrical systems, pipelines, and resource distribution networks.

Explore alternative funding mechanisms and updated commercial partnership policies that allow private launch providers to contribute more directly toward infrastructure upgrades.

The report paints a stark picture of Nasa’s maintenance backlog. While the agency’s long-term goal is to renew or replace infrastructure every 66 years, current funding levels mean the actual renewal cycle has stretched to more than 260 years.

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Without substantial investment, the OIG warns that ageing infrastructure could become one of the biggest obstacles to Nasa’s Artemis program and the rapidly expanding US commercial space industry.