US and China Compete for Lunar Dominance with Ambitious Space Programs
Washington DC. US space agency NASA has released detailed descriptions of advanced robotic landers, hopping drones, and special vehicles as part of its ambitious master plan to establish a permanent human settlement on the moon.
The US goal is to land American citizens on the moon again before the current US President Donald Trump's term ends in 2028.
However, this time the race is not just about reaching the moon but is focused on establishing a permanent presence there, with intense competition emerging between the US and China. China has also intensified its activities to send humans to the moon by 2030 and recently sent a new crew to the Tiangong space station via its 'Xianzhou-23' spacecraft.
China's rapid progress has created significant political pressure on NASA to show it is winning the new space race. Amidst this pressure, last March NASA announced a massive $20 billion program to build a permanent base camp on the moon's south pole powered by solar and nuclear energy.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has claimed that with this announcement, America will 'never leave the moon again'. This base camp on the moon is believed to play a crucial role in scientific research, excavation of valuable minerals, and facilitating future journeys to Mars.
However, most space scientists consider NASA's timeline unrealistic. Although NASA successfully orbited four astronauts around the moon with its 'Artemis 2' mission last April, China's potential to surpass the US in landing humans on the lunar pole is growing stronger.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a lunar scientist at the Open University, pointed out the delays in NASA's human landing craft construction, stating that he would not be surprised if China reaches there first. According to him, the recent major announcements by NASA appear to be driven more by political pressure than technical preparation.
NASA's 'Ignition Moon Base' program is primarily classified into three phases. In the first phase, unmanned robotic landers and hopping drones will be sent to map and explore the moon's difficult terrain. Additionally, vehicles for transporting astronauts, communication equipment, and scientific materials will also be taken. This robotic exploration mission will continue until 2029, with a goal of launching rockets 25 times to deliver up to 4 metric tons of cargo to the moon.
NASA announced on Tuesday that it has awarded contracts to build these machines to 'Blue Origin', a company founded by Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos, as well as 'Intuitive Machines' and 'Astrobotic'. Blue Origin's 'Endurance' lander will have the capability for precise lunar landing and autonomous navigation, while Astrobotic's 'Griffin-1' lander will descend near the moon's south pole in the Nobila crater.
After the completion of the first phase of the robotic mission, the second phase will involve establishing fission reactors and solar power plants on the moon. Subsequently, by 2032, the third phase will include the construction of semi-permanent habitats for humans and the use of special rovers for long-distance travel.
The main reason for choosing the moon's south pole is the presence of frozen water there, which can be melted to produce drinking water and oxygen. However, NASA's entire plan depends on a reliable spacecraft that can safely land humans on the lunar surface.
Although Elon Musk's company SpaceX has been tasked with building the 'Starship Human Landing System' craft, this project has been facing continuous technical obstacles and delays. According to scientist Simeon Barber, the biggest and most challenging step right now is safely landing astronauts on the lunar surface.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
