Washington — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated on July 5, 2026, that the United States is "very much in a space race right now" against China. Both nations are competing to land astronauts on the moon and establish a near-permanent presence there.

Speaking on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Isaacman highlighted China's rapid progress, saying, "The Chinese are moving at incredible speeds, and they are certainly capable of doing what the Soviets were not during the first space race."

The U.S. targets a lunar landing by the end of 2028, while China plans to send its "taikonauts" to the moon before 2030. Isaacman emphasized that the timelines are closer than they seem: "They are thinking in 2029, we're saying end of 2028 is when we're targeting the landing."

Isaacman affirmed, "The Chinese will land their taikonauts on the moon — there's no question." He added, "The question is, will the United States return before them, and will we do so in a different way this time?"

The Artemis III mission will be a critical step, aiming to test lunar landing systems ahead of the 2028 astronaut landing. NASA plans to develop a moon base with missions launching nearly monthly in 2027 to establish an enduring presence and serve as a proving ground for Mars exploration.

Upon the astronauts' arrival on the moon in 2028, Isaacman said, "there's going to be a buggy there, a lunar terrain vehicle, there's going to be a start of infrastructure," with further developments planned for 2029.

Sources