Moon Mission: US and China Vie for Supremacy in Space
The launch of Artemis II signals the next chapter in a new space race between great powers. This is about more than flags and prestige.
For over 50 years, the moon has been a memorial to past achievements in manned space flight. On Wednesday evening, April 1, it will once again be the setting for a race: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are scheduled to fly toward the moon at 6:24 p.m. local time (Florida), circle it and return to Earth 10 days later — the first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17. And American astronauts are, indeed, expected to set foot on the moon again in 2028.
This time, it’s not the U.S. and the Soviet Union facing off as cosmic antagonists, but the U.S. and China. Back then, the Soviets started out ahead, but the U.S. overtook them by landing on the moon. This time, the tables could be turned. Washington knows the clock is ticking. NASA Chief Jared Isaacman says they’re working on a timeline measured in months, not years.
Just days ago, NASA announced an overhaul of its moon program and is now pinning all its hopes on establishing a lunar base with a permanent presence. That’s because Washington fears Beijing will beat the U.S. to the punch. The Chinese have set themselves the goal of landing a taikonaut on the moon by 2030. That may be two years later, but unlike the U.S., China doesn’t keep postponing the deadlines of its space-policy projects.
It would be a political catastrophe for Donald Trump if taikonauts reached the lunar south pole before the U.S. flag was hoisted there again. He sees China as his country’s greatest geopolitical rival on Earth, one that must be defeated on all fronts — including in space.
For now, the U.S. still has a technological head start because of SpaceX and its reusable rockets, and China can’t close that gap so quickly. However, whether the U.S. will act on its ambitions remains to be seen. Artemis II has been repeatedly delayed since 2024, and the most recent launch attempts in February and March failed. A successful mission would send a cautious signal of strength. A failed one would have those in Beijing rubbing their hands.
For over 50 years, the moon has been a memorial to past achievements in manned space flight. On Wednesday evening, April 1, it will once again be the setting for a race: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are scheduled to fly toward the moon at 6:24 p.m. local time (Florida), circle it and return to Earth 10 days later — the first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17. And American astronauts are, indeed, expected to set foot on the moon again in 2028.
This time, it’s not the U.S. and the Soviet Union facing off as cosmic antagonists, but the U.S. and China. Back then, the Soviets started out ahead, but the U.S. overtook them by landing on the moon. This time, the tables could be turned. Washington knows the clock is ticking. NASA Chief Jared Isaacman says they’re working on a timeline measured in months, not years.
Just days ago, NASA announced an overhaul of its moon program and is now pinning all its hopes on establishing a lunar base with a permanent presence. That’s because Washington fears Beijing will beat the U.S. to the punch. The Chinese have set themselves the goal of landing a taikonaut on the moon by 2030. That may be two years later, but unlike the U.S., China doesn’t keep postponing the deadlines of its space-policy projects.
It would be a political catastrophe for Donald Trump if taikonauts reached the lunar south pole before the U.S. flag was hoisted there again. He sees China as his country’s greatest geopolitical rival on Earth, one that must be defeated on all fronts — including in space.
For now, the U.S. still has a technological head start because of SpaceX and its reusable rockets, and China can’t close that gap so quickly. However, whether the U.S. will act on its ambitions remains to be seen. Artemis II has been repeatedly delayed since 2024, and the most recent launch attempts in February and March failed. A successful mission would send a cautious signal of strength. A failed one would have those in Beijing rubbing their hands.
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