'The Chinese have really caught up': Why NASA is in race to land astronauts on the moon
NASA, with the urging of many politicians, has been racing to get astronauts back to the moon — before the Chinese land taikonauts on the lunar surface.
But what's the rush to return to a place the United States has already been and left 53 years ago? Especially when Mars looms as an enticing option for interplanetary travel.
Space experts say there's plenty of reasons for the urgency: national pride and national security. But also returning to the moon and building habitats would mean long term dominance in space and ensure access to resources that NASA didn't know where there when the Apollo missions flew. Now with the Chinese making significant progress in human space exploration, the clock is ticking.
'The Chinese in the last 20 years have made amazing strides in all aspects of space. They're sending robots to the moon on a very regular basis. Now they're doing some pretty amazing activities even on the far side of the moon, and they have a Chinese space station now in Earth orbit,' said Don Platt, associate professor of space systems at Florida Tech.
'The Chinese have really caught up,' said Platt. 'I do believe that the Chinese are definitely advancing their efforts on the moon, and are identifying it as a critical aspect of their strategic future in space."
When asked about the prospect of Chinese astronauts making it to the moon before NASA's planned Artemis III mission, Platt said he believes it's a possibility and he cited the efforts China is making to highlight the importance of the nation's space efforts to its own populace.
'They have some amazing videos. They're really engaging the Chinese public, and really using it to do what what we've always done in space, and that is to inspire the next generation and to show the world the technical abilities of the Chinese,' said Platt.
Platt also told FLORIDA TODAY that there was a recent announcement that China and Russia plan to team up on a nuclear power plant on the moon, which would provide sustained power. This means the countries are planning an eventual continuous human presence on the moon.
'The US has always used space as sort of what we could call the ultimate high ground, making sure the US is dominate in space, and you can't be dominant in space if another country is building bases on the moon," Platt said.
James Muncy, founder of PoliSpace, a space policy organization, told FLORIDA TODAY in an email that it's settlement on the moon that's key.
"In my opinion, what matters is not which country can land astronauts first, but which nation most aggressively pursues industrial development and human settlement of the moon," wrote Muncy. "If in 25 years there are 500 Americans living on the moon with more visiting at any one time and we are harvesting Helium 3 to cool quantum state computers and oxygen from the lunar 'soil' as the heaviest part of rocket fuel to help send missions to Mars, then we win the MARATHON."
"It really doesn't matter if we get the first two astronauts (ignoring the 12 that went during Apollo) back to the Moon if in a few decades we only have a few NASA astronauts living and working there. Or worse yet, have retreated again because of the high cost of using Orion and SLS to get there," Muncy wrote.
Platt compared the situation to what would have happened if the first European settlers in North America had never returned to the New World. Had that happened, there would be no United States. If America cedes the moon, it not only gives up leadership in space, but the moon's recourses and potential, he said.
There are natural resources, such as water ice, on the lunar surface. This is something NASA did not know back when the Apollo missions took place. And with much still to learn about how the human body performs in space, Platt believes the moon is a natural stepping stone for exploration before heading to Mars.
While traveling to the moon could take just days, a trip to Mars will take many months.
NASA's only available option of getting astronauts to the moon is the much delayed and 140% over budget SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, which will fly the Artemis missions.
NASA's SLS rocket launched on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in late 2022. Ever since that flight, delays have pushed the target dates for Artemis II out further. Artemis II aims to send NASA astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, whereas Artemis III is the moon landing.
But multiple years have passed since the stacked SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft have sat on Pad 39B. But progress is being made. The Orion spacecraft, which has seen its own delays, was recently brought into the Kennedy Space Center's giant Vehicle Assembly Building to be mounted on the rocket for the planned launch in spring of 2026.
"Several leaders in Congress, particularly Chairman Brian Babin of the House Science, Space & Technology Committee, and Chairman Ted Cruz of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, have stressed that, in their opinion, the fastest way for the U.S. to return astronauts to the lunar surface is to fly Artemis II and Artemis III as soon as possible," wrote Muncy.
The Trump administration has proposed cutting NASA's budget, but plans continue for Artemis II and Artemis III. Should the Trump administration's proposals pass, SLS and the Orion spacecraft would be axed in favor of more cost effective options past Artemis III.
Platt noted how the delayed SLS became a politicized "pork program" which saw states get funding money and jobs even as the goals constantly slipped. But now with China a valid threat, the tone is changing although still not everyone is convinced Artemis is the way to go.
'Unfortunately, it has continuously been behind schedule and over budget. And we haven't really gotten what we wanted to out of Artemis,' said Platt. 'I would definitely not want to see the United States stop the goals of human lunar space exploration, but the program, I do think needs to be revamped."
Artemis II was originally set to launch later this year, but now is targeting spring of next year.
Artemis III, which will return NASA astronauts to the moon, is heavily reliant on Artemis II being successful. It is also heavily dependent on SpaceX's Starship being ready to act as a human lander. So far, Starship has yet to even reach orbit — experiencing setbacks with the ship being lost less than 10 minutes into the last two test flights.
Meanwhile, NASA still awaits confirmation of its next administrator. Trump has nominated Jared Isaacman, a private astronaut with close ties to SpaceX's Elon Musk.
"Trump and Isaacman are going to let NASA complete the initial objective of returning astronauts to the moon using Orion and SLS," wrote Muncy. "But then we have to move to faster/better/cheaper ways to get a lot of Americans and stuff there so we can build a first base and then another and start industrializing cislunar space."
But in order for this to happen, everything needs to align.
This wouldn't be the first time America fell behind in space, Platt pointed out. The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, and also claimed the first man to reach not just space but orbit. Both of those events sparked a strong reaction amongst the American public.
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'If we look back at the Apollo program, President Kennedy decided to have the United States pursue goals on the moon because he thought that was enough out as a goal that the Soviets didn't have a major advantage," Platt said. "And honestly, the way we are right now, I would say it's similar that the Chinese are almost able to compete on equal footing with the US in terms of lunar exploration and pursuing lunar endeavors in the future, especially leading up to even humans on the moon."
Platt said he believes that if America were to wake up and see China has landed on the moon, it would instantly trigger another space race.
'People would say 'What happened to us? We were leaders in space, and now there's a Chinese flag on the moon. This is outrageous, and we've got to do something',' said Platt.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: New Space Race with China: NASA pushes to return to moon first
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