ZAP // Dall-E-2
The next big step for Humanity could be the small step of a Taiconaut on Lunar soil.
The last time a human being walked on the Moon was in December 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission of NASA — a moment widely considered the pinnacle of the American space program.
At the time, the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was a direct reflection of the Cold War: a contest for global prestige, scientific supremacy and ideological affirmation.
Currently, a new lunar rivalry begins to take shape — this time among United States and China.
The similarities are evident: two superpowers investing in cutting-edge technologies, racing against time and trying to secure influence beyond Earth. And, this time, there are no guarantees that the United States will emerge victorious, notes .
Even so, the context is now quite different. The rigid geopolitical division of the Cold War gave way to a more multipolar and competitive scenario, in which the role of private companies, international alliances and internal political dynamics is increasingly relevant.
Furthermore, the United States today faces budget priorities constantly changing, a fragmented industrial base and a heavy dependence on trading partners. China, on the other hand, continues state strategylong-term, with fewer public contracts and a more centralized direction.
If Beijing succeeds put astronauts on the Moon before NASAthe consequences will go far beyond those simple footprints left in the lunar soil.
China has set a clear objective for your lunar program: land astronauts on the Moon before 2030.
The available information points to a two-launch strategy. A manned spacecraft, called Mengzhouand a separate landing module, the Lanyuewill be launched by Long March 10 heavy rockets. After being in lunar orbit, the module will carry two taiconaut up to the surface.
Meanwhile, NASA’s, designed to be the agency’s return ticket to the Moon, has faced successive delays. The most recent changes place the Artemis II mission in April 2026 and the moon landing sometime in 2027.
Technical problems have slowed progress, and engineers continue to try to resolve flaws in the Earth’s heat shield, which protects the crew during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. These setbacks forced NASA to review both the vehicle design and the mission schedule.
At the same time, the budget of the North American agency is under increasing pressure. Although the priority remains on exploration, several scientific missions and infrastructure programs suffered cuts or postponementswhich places a huge burden on suppliers and weakens the continuity of engineering teams.
The Artemis program still faces the changes in political orientation between administrations, which makes stable, long-term commitments difficult.
In this context, NASA relies on SpaceX to overcome this phase of uncertainty. A Starship Elon Musk’s company tin the crucial responsibility of taking astronauts safely to the lunar surface, through the moon landing system that is being developed.
Not so much, Starship depends on in-orbit refuelingdocking and crew transfers — operations that have not yet been demonstrated to work reliably. So far, test flights have experienced several failures, and the complex logistics of cryogenic refueling in space remain unproven.
NASA thus pursues a narrow and risky path, while China’s pace continues to accelerate — and the next big step for humanity It could turn out to be a small step for a Taiconaut.
