August M
Space exploration has always inspired humanity to look up at the night sky with wonder.
Now, global competition is turning that wonder into a high-stakes race back to the lunar surface, reports DR news
High-stakes sprint
Both the United States and China plan to send humans to the Moon within four years, according to Danish broadcaster DR. Whichever country arrives first will claim the first crewed landing in over fifty years.
Washington aims for a 2028 landing, while Beijing targets 2030. Yet experts say the American timeline faces mounting pressure as China steadily advances.
“The Americans aren’t ready with their landing craft yet. And there’s not long until 2028. So it’s something that’s hanging by a thread,” says Michael Linden-Vørnle, astrophysicist at DTU Space.
He notes Chinese engineers consistently hit their targets. “China has managed to deliver everything they said they would deliver, by the time they wanted to deliver it. So China may well end up landing before the Americans,” he tells DR.
Pushing the schedule
Commercial lander development relies heavily on private firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin. But technical hurdles remain, including a New Glenn rocket explosion during a test earlier this year.
“It won’t take much for the schedule to slip. If the spacecraft aren’t ready, the mission won’t be possible, and the US will be behind,” Linden-Vørnle warns.
China’s space program operates without political shifts disrupting long planning cycles. Engineers are completing the Long March 10 rocket, using one launcher for astronauts and another for their lunar lander.
Beyond the landing
Robotic missions have already built momentum for Beijing. “They have reached number seven out of eight in their robotic missions. And they are the first ever to succeed in bringing rock samples down to Earth from the far side of the Moon,” says Christina Toldbo, head of the Round Tower Observatory.
“And then they have built a space station where they have learned to live and survive in space, just like we have done on the International Space Station. They have just done it themselves,” Toldbo adds.
Beyond national pride, permanent presence remains the true objective. Constructing shared infrastructure on the Moon could shape deep space exploration for decades.
“And even if you can’t own the Moon, you can own what you build on it. And then it’s about being the first to build something that others depend on. For example, a gas station,” Toldbo emphasizes.
Sources: DR news
