Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Oliver Holmes, and Alastair McCready in Taipei. Graphics by Paul Scruton

The tortoise and the hare: will China beat the US in the race back to the moon?

Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng, and Liu Boming wave before Shenzhou-12 launch.
Astronauts wave during a departure ceremony before a rocket launch in 2021 in China, where the one-party system does not allow for changes in government to derail long-term objectives in space. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/EPA

The world watched earlier this month as Nasa sent four astronauts around the moon – but to actually land on the surface the US is once again in a space race, this time with China. And China may well win.

Both countries plan to build inhabited lunar bases – the first settlement on another celestial body – as well as searching for rare resources and using the deep space environment to test technology for future crewed missions to Mars.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.