A Senate Commerce Committee hearing sounded the alarm over the U.S.-China space race, emphasizing American dominance off Earth as the backdrop for NASA’s next funding authorization.
Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) opened the Sept. 3 hearing, titled "There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise," by warning that the United States risks losing the moon to China if NASA’s Artemis program falters. The hearing centered on how America can stay ahead in the new space race, with lawmakers pressing the importance of Artemis and reaffirming the need for the Gateway space station and to maintain continuous operations in low Earth orbit (LEO).
