NASA, Moon and China
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China is the United States' biggest competitor in the modern-era space race.
By Eduardo Baptista BEIJING, April 2 (Reuters) - NASA sent four astronauts on the world's first crewed lunar mission in half a century on Wednesday, in preparation for a first-ever manned landing on the moon's South Pole in 2028,
The United States has been vocal about wanting to beat China back to the surface of the Moon. In February, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said that the agency faced “credible competition from our greatest geopolitical adversary” and needed to “move faster, eliminate delays and achieve our objectives”.
China’s Chang’e-7 arrives at spaceport for lunar south pole exploration mission China’s multi-element Chang’e-7 lunar spacecraft has arrived at Wenchang spaceport for launch preparations ahead of a planned liftoff in the second half of 2026.
China's bid to land astronauts on the moon is taking on greater geopolitical significance and putting pressure on Beijing to meet or beat its timetable.