NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has stated that the United States is in a renewed Moon race with China, with both nations racing to land astronauts on the lunar surface before the decade ends. The timeline is narrowing, as China aims to land its astronauts by 2030, while the US targets a return through the Artemis program by late 2028. Isaacman emphasized that the gap between the two plans is now measured in months, not years.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Isaacman said Beijing’s lunar ambitions should be taken seriously. China is advancing rapidly in human spaceflight, with a clear goal of putting astronauts on the Moon. “It is not arguably. Like, there—we are very much in a space race right now, and the Chinese are moving at incredible speeds,” Isaacman said. He added, “The Chinese will land their taikonauts on the moon. There’s no question. The question is, will the United States return before them?”
China has set a target to land astronauts on the lunar surface before 2030. Its space program has progressed steadily through crewed missions to the Tiangong space station, including the recent launch of the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft. Isaacman noted that China could achieve goals that the former Soviet Union did not reach during the original space race, framing the current contest around timing, execution, and the ability to place crews on the lunar surface first.
The US plans to use NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon. Isaacman said the Trump administration has made lunar exploration a national priority through new funding. “We are going back,” he said. “It will be an unbelievable display.” Artemis III is scheduled for next year to test key systems for the lunar landing mission. According to Isaacman, the US is targeting the end of 2028 for a crewed lunar landing, with Artemis IV also planned for 2028 to support the next phase of lunar operations. “They said before 2030… we’re saying end of 2028 is when we’re targeting the landing. That is months, not years,” Isaacman said.
Beyond the first return mission, NASA aims to build a sustained human presence on the Moon as a test site for future Mars missions. Isaacman said infrastructure for a lunar base could arrive as early as 2027, and by 2028 astronauts may find equipment already placed on the Moon, including a lunar terrain vehicle and early base systems. “Early 2030s, the moon is going to be like the International Space Station,” he said. “You’re going to have crews that are there on pretty extended periods of time, as we learn in that environment and prepare for Mars.”
NASA plans to rely on commercial space companies to support future missions. Isaacman said private launch providers have lowered costs and expanded access to space. He also addressed delays linked to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after a recent launch failure, noting that NASA is helping with the investigation while keeping future lunar work on track. “They’re going to solve that,” he said. “NASA’s there to help.”