NASA Director Warns China May Lead Moon Race Before US Returns

Jared Aizkman, the director of NASA, stated that China might surpass the United States in the race to reach the Moon.

In an interview with CBS, Aizkman said, "The Chinese will send their astronauts to the Moon, that is not a question. The question is: will the United States return to the Moon before them?"

Aizkman affirmed that the US could still outpace China, adding, "There is definitely a space race happening now, and China is advancing at an incredible speed."

Earlier, Carlos Garcia-Galan, head of NASA's lunar base program, mentioned at the end of June that the United States lacks sufficient information to send a crewed mission to the Moon and begin building a base there.

The Moon landing, originally planned for 2027 as part of the Artemis III mission, has been postponed to 2028 under the Artemis IV mission.

NASA anticipates that by 2029 it will have reliable capabilities to reach the lunar surface and conduct experiments, followed by establishing essential infrastructure to operate a lunar base. From 2032 onward, NASA expects to maintain a permanent crew presence there.

According to the official account, under the Apollo program, the United States landed on the Moon six times between 1969 and 1972, with 12 astronauts walking on the lunar surface.