There are still people in the U.S. who understand clearly—openly admitting that China can achieve what the Soviet Union never managed.

On July 5, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was straightforward on CBS’s "Face the Nation": The United States is "engaging in a space race with China." China is fully capable of sending humans to the Moon before 2030—and even "achieving what the Soviet Union failed to do."

He described China’s pace of development as "unbelievably fast." While the U.S. aims to return to the Moon by late 2028, China targets the goal before 2030. Nelson himself added candidly: "It's just months apart, not years."

For Artemis, Mission 2 has just completed its lunar flyby; Mission 3 is scheduled for next year (to validate landing systems, perform orbital rendezvous and docking of three of the most powerful rockets—following the same approach as Apollo 9). Starting in 2027, NASA plans to "launch one mission per month" to deliver supplies to the lunar surface. By 2028, when the first crewed landing occurs, there should already be rovers and basic infrastructure on the Moon. Construction will continue in 2029, aiming to establish a "lunar version of the International Space Station" by the early 2030s.

China’s Chang’e-6 mission uniquely collects samples from the Moon’s far side; Chang’e-7 plus crewed lunar landing proceed steadily according to plan.

To put it plainly, this round of lunar competition differs fundamentally from the Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet race. As The Guardian accurately points out: It’s not just about who lands first—it’s about who can stay longer and eventually go to Mars.

NASA’s urgency stems partly from genuine concern that China may win through steady, long-term progress. But also because Nelson (a former private-sector executive closely aligned with SpaceX) needs to rally support from Congress and justify funding for the Artemis program. The phrase “China is advancing astonishingly fast,” coming from the NASA Administrator, carries more weight than any white paper. Yet within the industry, everyone knows that 2028 is a familiar target—Artemis missions have been routinely delayed. Meanwhile, China might actually overtake the U.S. in the race.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869959450151947/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.