Could China reach the Moon before NASA? Humans going back to the Moon has become a current space race, that’s why this agency has the Artemis program to take astronauts again to the lunar surface. However, a former NASA chief, Jim Bridenstine, warned about China probably being the first in doing this. The reason for this is the complex architecture NASA chose for the mission. So, let’s learn more about this.
NASA mission: SLS and Orion
NASA’s present plan is to go back to the Moon by combining several elements:
- SLS (Space Launch System): this is the biggest rocket ever built in the U.S. Its function is to launch a capsule crewed toward lunar orbit. Bridenstine recognized this project has been expensive and it has some delays, but it’s already operational.
- Orion Capsule: this will be the spacecraft that will take astronauts from Earth to the Moon’s orbit and back to our planet again. According to the former NASA chief, Orion is already working and is becoming more reusable with each mission.
Everything seems to go smoothly, right? But let me tell you there’s some trouble about this project.
Starship
For landing on the Moon, NASA chose SpaceX’s Starship in a version called HLS (Human Landing System). According to Bridenstine, this choice makes the plan so difficult because of:
- Orbital refueling: Starship will need extra fuel to reach the Moon. This means conducting multiple launches from Earth to refuel it in orbit, something never tested before.
- Human certification: the HLS Starship is not yet “human-rated,” meaning it hasn’t been certified to carry astronauts. That process hasn’t even started.
- Waiting time in lunar orbit: it is unclear how long the Starship could loiter in orbit before the crew arrives.
- Crew safety: in some cases, astronauts could be left up to seven days on the lunar surface without a direct way back to Orion, which makes safety a real concern.
Controversial decision
In 2021, NASA chose SpaceX as the only partner for the moon landing system. Other companies like Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos) and Dynetics, competed too, but they were left out.
The former NASA chief criticized that this decision, which he described as ‘’the most important in NASA’s history,’’ was made when the agency didn’t have an official administrator in charge. For Bridenstine, no administrator would have chosen this architecture.
Even Blue Origin sued NASA over the contract decision. Even though the legal battle eventually ended, the debate still goes on over whether it was the right call.
China may be faster
While NASA is facing these technical and plan challenges, China is advancing pretty fast on its lunar program. The country has already achieved important milestones, like successful missions on the Moon’s hidden side and concrete plans to send astronauts in the next decade.
For Bridenstine, everything indicates that if NASA doesn’t solve those issues with Starchip and the moon landing system, China could be the next country to plant its flag on the Moon before the U.S. goes back.
The future
Going back to the Moon is not about national pride, NASA thinks it’s a key step to be prepared for missions to Mars, develop new technology, and strengthen international cooperation in space. So, if China gets to be the first to go to the Moon, it will change the balance of power in space exploration and reinforce its image as a technological leader.
As you can see, the space race is more active than ever before. I’m sure the whole world will be paying attention to which country is going to be the next one to land on the Moon.