Posted on 10/13/2025 11:49:35 AM PDT by MarlonRando
Indeed, even vocal supporters of America’s effort are now expressing doubts that Nasa will be able to beat the Chinese space agency in the race to send humans back to the lunar surface. China has been making great strides in its lunar effort and is targeting a Moon landing by 2030. America’s programme, on the other hand, is beset with problems, including the lack of a working lunar landing system and lunar surface spacesuits that are behind schedule.
(Excerpt) Read more at theconversation.com ...
Depends how many chicks are packed in there with me.
I think the US is much better placed to return to the moon than China.
Space X is the natural choice.
Been there, drove through. Quickly.
Ah, which ones?
Since the Chicoms have never “been to the moon” they are not in a race to get “back to the moon.” We have been there, done that.
There are 4 companies trying to build future Space Stations. Some private.
As far as the current NASA insanity, would you believe the next manned mission is to orbit the moon and return. The insanity is that the Orion capsule life support system has not been tested in space. Yes, you read this correctly. Also, the heat shield for the return through the Earth’s atmosphere has major issues. I cannot decide if the humans on that flight are brave or foolish.
Today’s SpaceX Starship / SuperHeavy Booster test will test various re-entry tiles, as well as the stainless steel body of the Starship, and many other systems. SpaceX purposefully stresses these systems to find out what works, what doesn’t work, etc.
The first time was purely for bragging rights. This time’s for keeps. We’re all going back to the moon with a look to exploiting and/or colonizing it, and the first one to get there gets to claim the best real estate.
The Chinese in particular wouldn’t be doing this without an eye on a long-term strategic goal.
Just stay away from that black rectangle slab thingy.
"It has not been ratified by any state that engages in self-launched human spaceflight (i.e., the United States, Russia (or its predecessor the Soviet Union), or the People's Republic of China) since its creation on December 18, 1979, and thus it has little to no relevancy in international law. As of May 2024, 17 states are parties to the treaty."
I'd like to see the US serious about what looks to be Space Race 2. There's all too many DEI types populating NASA these days, imo.
The Orion spacecraft’s first mission, called Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), launched into space on Dec. 5, 2014. It has been tested in space. Yes, you also read that right.
It is not so much the “how to” but the “how much” that has been the problem. I have seen at least a half dozen proposals, all of which were deemed to be too expensive. We have been working on the program that eventually became Artemis since the turn of the Century.
Why can’t they just dust off blueprints from Apollo?
A spacesuit problem? That definitly does not add up.
Guess the push has been started for more funding.
Put Musk on it, with USAID funding stolen back from left wing causes.
“A spacesuit problem?”
Good to see somebody noticed.
NASA is terrible at keeping their lies straight.
The actual moonwalkers? I think there are three (Buzz, Dave Scott, Schmitt). Jim Lovell just passed, but he never got to the surface as we all know.
Oh yeah, and Charlie Duke!
It sez here, Fred Haise (Apollo 13, so he never landed) is still with us.
Oh, okay, and Schweickart (Apollo 9, Earth orbit only). I’m not goin’ back to the search engine again. 🐱🚀
https://www.rustyschweickart.com/
12 men on the moon. 6 landings: Apollo 11, 12, 14-17.
Tom Hanks did not make it down :)
Ah, I think you were talking still alive...
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