NASA's Artemis Program Hits Major Setback as Rocket Explodes on Launch Pad In a shocking turn of events, NASA's highly anticipated Artemis mission has suffered a major setback after a rocket exploded on its launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and reliability of the program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2025. The explosion occurred during a test firing of the rocket's engines, and officials are currently investigating the cause of the malfunction. The setback is a significant blow to NASA's ambitious plans to establish a sustainable presence on the moon and potentially even send humans to Mars in the future.