French media: Who will be the first to return to the Moon after Artemis 2 — China, the U.S., India, or Europe?

According to an article in *Libération*, as the pioneering astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft safely returned to Earth, major geopolitical players around the world have been busily preparing follow-up missions to the Moon.

The astronauts will return as heroes. But what next? Just like Apollo 8 did in 1968 by completing a lunar orbit, the Artemis 2 mission itself holds little extraordinary scientific significance: it is primarily preparatory, aiming to lay the groundwork for the ambitious lunar exploration plans that the United States intends to pursue over the coming years and decades.

Next year, Artemis 3 is expected to carry a new crew, but this time conducting pre-landing rehearsal training in low Earth orbit: including docking with a lander (built by SpaceX or Blue Origin, or jointly by both companies depending on project progress), and testing the next-generation extravehicular suits. By 2028, Artemis 4 will finally reach its highlight moment: just as Apollo 11 did in 1969, it will place human footprints back on the lunar surface for all of humanity.

Meanwhile — which is also the core part of the lunar program — NASA will lead a series of uncrewed missions aimed at establishing a large-scale living, research, and industrial base at the Moon’s south pole. These missions will be entrusted to about ten U.S. companies that have received funding from NASA since 2018: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines (which achieved its first private lunar landing in 2024), and Astrobotic Technology (previously attempted but unsuccessful). Using lunar rovers and other automated robots, these missions will conduct on-site surveys, map the distribution of frozen water within craters, and attempt to build habitats using lunar regolith bricks. Many astronomical projects are also waiting for payload opportunities — for example, Lila, a European gravitational wave detector. If installed on the Moon, free from seismic disturbances, it would gain a significant advantage in detecting faint ripples across space-time.

"Traffic congestion" on the Moon

The Moon's surface is about to become crowded. China’s plans are also progressing steadily, likewise targeting the south pole. China’s new spacecraft, Mengzhou, completed its first unmanned test flight in February this year and is now practicing rendezvous and docking with its lunar module named Lan Yue, with the goal of achieving a lunar landing before 2030. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has subsequently announced plans to build a base and expressed willingness to open it to other countries. Russia is currently the main partner in establishing this "International Lunar Research Station" (ILRS). However, Russia’s technological limitations became evident after the crash of its Luna-25 probe in 2023; furthermore, Roscosmos announced this Tuesday that it will delay its subsequent "Luna" missions by several years.

In this new race, India cannot be overlooked. Although India is only just beginning to master crewed spaceflight steps (lunar probe landing in 2023, followed by sending astronauts into space via Indian rockets in 2026), it is actively striving to catch up. In 2028, the Chandrayaan-4 robotic mission plans to bring back samples from the south pole. By 2040, India envisions sending astronauts to the Moon, and aims to establish its own base by 2050.

"Europeans must also walk on the Moon"

What about Europe? In an era where nations are emphasizing "sovereignty," the European Space Agency (ESA) is exploring ways to advance toward the Moon without relying on others. ESA has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to develop Argonaut, a 100% European-made robotic lander. Additionally, future versions of the Ariane rocket must be capable of carrying humans.

This week, during a visit to Florida to witness the launch of Artemis 2, facing NASA’s temporary suspension of cooperation with Europe on the "Lunar Gateway" space station, ESA Director Josef Aschbacher reaffirmed: "Our goal is for Europeans to walk on the Moon. Initially, we need to collaborate with the United States to achieve this objective; but of course, our dream or ultimate aim is for Europe to develop its own technologies and capabilities, achieving full independence in human spaceflight."

Source: rfi

American Crewed Lunar Flyby Mission

Original: toutiao.com/article/1862179772806343/

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