Throughout the history of mankind, space exploration has been an important force that stimulates scientific innovation and national competition. From the Apollo moon landing in the 20th century to the International Space Station in the 21st century, every leap is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a human conquest of the unknown and the pursuit of dreams. In this series of expeditions, the moon has always been a space outpost that mankind yearns for.
With China and the United States, two space powers, setting their sights on the moon again, a new space race is quietly begins. So today, let's take a look at the current situation and future of the China-US lunar landing race, analyze the strategy, technological strength, and potential cooperation and competition between the two countries in lunar exploration, the possible impact of this space race, and look forward to future lunar exploration journeys on this basis.
Throughout the history of space exploration, the Moon has always been the focus of human curiosity and conquest. With China and the United States unveiling their grand plans to land on the moon, a new era of space racing has officially begun. China's Long March 9 rocket and lunar base construction programs, as well as NASA's Artemis program, are undoubtedly the brightest stars of this new space race. They not only carry the glory of science and technology of their respective countries, but also the concrete embodiment of the common space ideal of mankind.
China's goal of landing a manned person on the moon before 2030 is like a blazing star, streaked over the international space field, attracting countless attention. The Long March 9 rocket, the name was like a bombshell when it was announced, causing an uproar in the global space community.
Its claimed fully reusable nature will undoubtedly reduce costs and increase efficiency in future space exploration. At the same time, China has demonstrated its ambitions not only at the technical level, but also at the political and international relations levels, with the plan to establish an international alliance for a lunar base, a declaration that undoubtedly throws an olive branch of cooperation and competition in the field of space exploration. The news of the groundbreaking of the lunar base in 2028 is to reserve a place for China on the map of global space power.
On the U.S. side, as the winner of the Cold War space race, NASA's Artemis program is undoubtedly a continuation and symbol of its space supremacy. With ambitious goals, a large budget and many partners, the program is the culmination of U.S. space exploration forces.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson's warnings and appeals reflect the pressure the United States is feeling in the new space race. Congress's increase in the NASA budget is a clear indication of the importance that the United States attaches to the Artemis program and its response to China's challenge. In this new space race, the United States is clearly reluctant to give up its lead, especially on the key battlefield of the moon. However, space exploration is never an isolated race.
China's "black box" operation and the U.S.'s public appeal, while on the surface a power contest between the two countries, are at a deeper level a wrestle over the rules of future space governance. The attention paid by foreign media to China's lunar landing program and the recognition of China's aerospace strength by US experts all show the fact that future space exploration will be a complex situation in which cooperation and competition coexist between countries.
NASA's Artemis program, a plan comparable to the production cost of a Hollywood blockbusterThe bills from 2012 to 2028 could scare off any producer — with a total budget of up to $102.5 billion. That's a few zeros more than the balance in your or my accounts, so much so that we began to wonder if the addition that our math teacher taught us was still applicable. NASA seems to be sending a message to Congress: "To win, you have to spend money!" "But is the money worth it?
Let's start by looking at the big head on the billSLS rockets。This rocket, you can imagine a cosmic LEGO toy. Most of the accessories are old items from the space shuttle era, but they are more expensive than brand new.
If a booster is an improved version, then the first-stage rocket engine RS-25 and the upper-stage engine RL-10 are turned straight out of the old time box. NASA has already spent $30 billion on this "second-hand", which is enough for us to buy a nice plot of land on the moon.
But that's not all, the cost of one launch of the SLS rocket is 3 of the Heavy Falcon5 times, which makes one have to ask: is this a rocket, or is it a lit gold bar? Lori Garver, the former deputy director of NASA, couldn't help but speak out against SLS. NASA engineers are also secretly complaining that the rocket can't send people directly to the moon, and is more like an expensive taxiSend the Orion spacecraft to the lunar space station to "get a card", and then transfer to a spaceX starship to actually set foot on the surface of the moon.
This kind of operation can't help but be reminiscent of those time-consuming and labor-intensive journeys that transfer at the airport in order to save a few dollars. NASA's Artemis, although it claims to be a "return to the moon", seems to be more like a "heavy investment" at the moment. The scientific community is also mixed, with some appreciating the grand plan and others shaking their heads and sighing, believing that such extravagance will only make NASA's pockets emptyer and emptyer.
At the same time, China's lunar program seems to be playing a whole new game. They do not engage in complex "air relays", but complete the task more directly with two launches. The Chinese CZ-10 rocket, which may not be as loud as the SLS, promises to accomplish the same tasks at a lower cost. Such a pragmatic approach may allow China to quietly get ahead in this race to the moon.
In the showdown of the Mars mission, China also said that it would bring home Martian soil samples two years earlier than the United States. This "step-by-step" situation has made NASA feel unprecedented pressure. It's not because of a lack of ability, but because its steps are so big that it's a bit "pulling the egg".
To sum up, NASA and China are on the track of the space race, one is frantically test driving on the edge of the financial cliff, and the other is looking for opportunities to overtake in stability.
In the future trend of the Sino-US lunar race, we have to focus on the technological accumulation and strategic layout of the two major space powers. China's lunar exploration program is gradually emerging, and the clarity of its strategy and the maturity of its technology have made the oriental dragon stand out in the space race.
From the continuous upgrade of the Long March rocket series to the successful test flight of a new generation of manned spacecraft, China's aerospace industry seems to have found a suitable path to the moon. On the other hand, NASA, as a long-established force that has always occupied a leading position in the aerospace field, is also constantly promoting technological innovation, but the problems it faces in technology verification and strategy adjustment cannot be ignored.
China's lunar program revolves around several core components, namely the CZ-10 lunar rocket, the Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft, the lunar spacecraft, and the lunar rover. China's lunar landing system, based on the Long March series of rockets, demonstrates China's aerospace engineering capabilities and mastery of complex system management.
China's plan to launch the payload into lunar orbit in two phases provides a buffer against possible uncertainties while ensuring the success rate of the mission, while also increasing the flexibility and redundancy of the mission. More notably, China has also made some progress in promoting the development of reusable lunar spacecraft, which will greatly reduce the cost of future lunar exploration missions.
In the United States, NASA's Artemis program aims to not just return to the moon, but to establish a sustainable model of lunar exploration, including the establishment of a lunar space station gateway and multiple land activities. Although NASA has a rich history and experience in space technology, new challenges are constantly emerging, and how to verify the technology and adjust the strategy on the basis of the existing ones is a major issue that NASA is currently facing.
In the coming years, the competition between China and the United States for lunar exploration is likely to bring about a series of changes that are not limited to the technical level, but also may affect the landscape of the global space race. China, with its clear strategic goals and mature technology, is on track to achieve a manned landing on the moon by 2030, and the United States may build on this and further consolidate its leading position in lunar exploration through the Artemis program.
The winner of this competition is not only the first country to leave a footprint on the moon again, but also the country that can integrate scientific and technological innovation, strategic layout and international cooperation in the new field of space exploration, so as to push mankind further into the universe. Whether it is China's pragmatic strategy or the United States' grand blueprint, the far-reaching impact of this space race will undoubtedly go beyond the current ** and write a new chapter in the future of all mankind.