US and China race around the moon as latest mission paves the way for astronauts in 2025

THE US has officially staked its claim on the moon’s south pole with the success of its nail-biting Odysseus moon landing.

While the White House is one step closer to securing a permanent base on the moon, it may not be alone on the lunar surface.

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The ongoing tussle between the US and China has led to a renaissance of the space race of the 1960s.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson has long viewed China as the most capable adversary to get boots on the moon by the end of this decade.

But a task that may be more difficult than transporting people to the moon is building a sustainable infrastructure where people can survive off-planet.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility for them to say, ‘Stay out, we’re here, this is our territory.’

Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator

In January, Nelson said he believed the “race” for China was over and that the US was heading straight.

The NASA chief announced that the agency is now targeting September 2026 for its Artemis III mission, the first human mission on the moon since Apollo 17.

“I’m not afraid that China will land before us,” Nelson told the press at the time.

“I think China has a very aggressive plan. I think they would want to land before us because that could give them a PR coup.

‘But the fact is that I don’t think that will be the case.

“I think it’s true that their announced date is getting earlier and earlier.

“But specifically, as we land in September ’26, that will be the first landing.”

Nelson has spoken openly about his fear if China were to put them in the post.

China’s military presence in the South China Sea signals how the country might behave on the lunar surface, Nelson claimed, which would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

“We better be careful that they don’t come to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research,” he told Politico last year.

“And it’s not outside the realm of possibility that they’ll say, ‘Stay out, we’re here, this is our territory.’”

Like the US, China has its own plans for a lunar research facility, which it already plans to share with Egypt, Venezuela, South Africa, Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

As things stand, China aims to establish its International Lunar Research Base (ILRS) no earlier than 2028.

China is convinced that its intentions with ILRS are to collect samples and conduct “scientific exploration,” despite NASA’s suspicions.

Even though there are many precious metals and minerals on the moon, Helium-3 is the most valuable resource because it is rare on Earth but very common on the moon.

The University Space Research Association

While China was late to the first round of the space race, Beijing is investing heavily to become the second country to land humans on the moon by 2030.

The favored Chinese crew will also be the first non-Americans to land on the lunar surface.

According to Euroconsult, China under President Xi Jinping has spent nearly $6 billion on its ambitious space program.

Although NASA is no longer concerned about Beijing’s victory in the space race, China has made good progress since landing its rover in 2013 and even has the historic achievement of exploring the dark side of the moon.

Why the south pole of the moon?

The south pole of the moon has been a place of interest for all spacefaring countries including India, Russia, China and the US.

Last year, India made history by becoming the first country to land near the southern location.

A few days earlier, Russia also attempted a landing at the South Pole, which ended in an emergency landing.

NASA’s Artemis III mission aims to explore an area near the moon’s south pole.

The Artemis III mission is part of a ten-year program that is expected to culminate in a permanent moon base by the end of the decade.

Scientists say the South Pole is the most promising location for water-based ice, which will be crucial for future human habitation on the moon.

But the abundance of precious lunar materials that the winners of the space race will have almost exclusive access to could also fuel the chase, experts say.

The south polar region is one of the most resource-rich areas on the moon.

In a report, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) said the price of returning precious metals such as platinum and rhodium to Earth would not be cost-effective.

However, this does not apply to Helium-3.

So-called ‘cold traps’ scattered across the moon’s surface are believed to contain gases such as Helium-3, which could help produce vast amounts of energy here on Earth.

“Even though there are many precious metals and minerals on the moon, the most valuable resource is Helium-3, because it is rare on Earth but very common on the moon,” experts write.

“The price of Helium-3 could even reach $2,000 per liter, or $59.15 per ounce.

“It is essential to note that 2.2 pounds, or 1 kilogram, of Helium-3 mixed with 1.5 pounds, or 0.67 kilograms of deuterium, can produce 19 years of megawatts of energy – enough energy to power the United States for an entire year Let it turn.”