NASA could launch its Artemis II mission, which will fly astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, in February 2026.

NASA on Tuesday said it was on track to send astronauts to orbit the Moon in early 2026, as the United States races China to return to the lunar surface.

“The HLS schedule is significantly challenged and, in our estimation, could be years late for a 2027 Artemis 3 Moon landing,” said panelist Paul Hill, who is a former director of Mission Operations a...