Nasa boss warns China could take control of Moon’s mysterious side as major astronaut return mission is delayed again
Amid concerns that China may surpass the United States in reaching the lunar south pole, NASA has once again delayed the date of its next crewed mission to the moon.
The head of NASA, Bill Nelson, has expressed his concerns that China would surpass the United States in reaching the moon.
“I would be worried if China arrived first and said, ‘This is our territory, you stay out,'” he said during a hearing earlier this year that was meant to approve NASA’s 2025 budget proposal of $25.4 billion (20.3 billion).
“Obviously you don’t want to interfere with each other but don’t declare that this whole territory is suddenly yours.”
Including four uncrewed and astronaut-assisted missions, Artemis is NASA’s Moon campaign.
NASA said in January that Artemis II, the upcoming mission, will launch in September 2025 rather than late 2024.
READ MORE ABOUT NASA
The space agency has now declared that an April 2026 launch is its goal.
The extension is intended to give engineers more time to work on resolving problems with the next Orion spacecraft.
The capsule faced “significant risks” after its heat shield wore down in over 100 locations, according to the 2022 uncrewed Artemis I flight in Orion.
The Artemis III mission, which intends to deposit humans close to the Moon’s south pole, is ultimately delayed.
That mission is currently scheduled to launch in mid-2027, rather than September 2026.
Watch China s bizarre new plans for lunar base race with egg habitation domes that can resist moonquakes
According to Nelson, the revised schedule should still enable the US to land on the moon before its space-faring competitor.
In 2030, China intends to send its own astronauts to the south pole of the moon.
The nation’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe made a safe landing on the moon’s far “dark side” in June, marking a major milestone in its three-part mission to collect data that would enable men to return to the moon in six years.
Find out more about science
Are you interested in learning more about the fascinating and strange field of science? We have you covered for everything from the Moon to the human body.
- When is the next Full Moon?
- What is a Super Moon?
- What is SpaceX?
- Where is the edge of space?
- How many bones are in the human body?
- How many chromosomes do humans have?
- What causes a volcano to erupt?
- Which sharks attack the most humans?
- What are the conspiracy theories about the world ending?
- All the UFO sightings and whether aliens are real
- Which country has the most earthquakes?
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!