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The Conversation
The Conversation
Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University

The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface

Moon China NASA United States SpaceX Earth America Boeing Starship
Who will be first to return humans to the lunar surface? Merlin74 / Shutterstock

Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade.

However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.

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