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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has said the United States is facing a renewed Moon race with China, with both countries moving toward crewed lunar missions before the end of the decade.
The NASA Chief said the timeline is now narrow, as China aims to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, while the United States is targeting a return by late 2028 through the Artemis program. Isaacman said the race is no longer distant, noting that the gap between the two plans is now ‘months, not years.’
Isaacman made the remarks on CBS’s Face the Nation, where he said Beijing’s lunar plans should be taken seriously. He said China is advancing quickly in human spaceflight and has made clear its 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 also moved forward through crewed missions to the Tiangong space station. Recently, China launched the Shenzhou 23 crewed spacecraft and completed docking with the space station, adding to its steady progress in orbit.
Isaacman said China could achieve goals that the former Soviet Union did not reach in the original space race. However, he framed the current contest around timing, execution, and the ability to place crews on the lunar surface first.
The United States plans to use NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon. Isaacman said the Trump administration had made lunar exploration a national priority through new funding for the program.
“We are going back,” he said. “It will be an unbelievable display.” He added that Artemis III is planned for next year and will test key systems linked to the lunar landing mission.
According to Isaacman, the United States is targeting the end of 2028 for a crewed lunar landing. He said Artemis IV is also planned for 2028 and is expected to support the next phase of lunar operations after earlier system tests.
“They said before 2030... we’re saying end of 2028 is when we’re targeting the landing. That is months, not years,” Isaacman said.
The timeline places Artemis III and Artemis IV at the center of NASA’s near-term strategy. The success of the landing system tests will be closely watched, as they are expected to shape whether the United States can meet its 2028 target.
Beyond the first return mission, NASA aims to build a sustained human presence on the Moon. The agency plans to use the lunar surface as a test site for future Mars missions.
Isaacman said infrastructure for a lunar base could begin arriving as early as 2027. By 2028, he said 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 also plans to rely on commercial space companies to support future missions. Isaacman said private launch providers have lowered costs and helped expand access to space.
He also addressed delays linked to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after a recent launch failure. Isaacman said 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.”
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