The race to return humans to the moon—a contest many thought ended with the Apollo era—has found new life in the 21st century. This time, the United States faces stiff competition from China, and recent developments suggest the U.S. might not be the first to plant its flag on lunar soil in the coming years. According to reporting by The New York Times, mounting technical delays and a complex mission plan threaten to push NASA’s ambitious Artemis III moon landing mission well beyond its original 2027 target. If these setbacks continue, China could very well beat the U.S. to the surface of the moon.
The stakes are high. The Artemis program, announced by NASA in the spring of 2019, promised to usher in a new era of American lunar exploration. The mission was structured in three phases: Artemis I, an unmanned test flight of the Orion spacecraft around the moon (which successfully launched and returned between November 16 and December 11, 2022); Artemis II, a planned manned orbital flight around the moon; and Artemis III, the centerpiece—a crewed lunar landing that would mark humanity’s triumphant return to the moon’s surface.
But as the years have rolled by, the timeline has begun to slip. NASA initially set its sights on 2027 for the Artemis III landing. However, as The New York Times reports, officials within NASA are now privately discussing the possibility of pushing the mission to 2028. Some experts go even further, warning that the mission’s centerpiece—the lunar landing using SpaceX’s Starship—might not be ready until 2032.
What’s at the heart of these delays? The answer lies in the daunting technical complexity of Artemis III. The mission requires a multi-stage process: NASA’s super-heavy Space Launch System rocket will deliver the Orion spacecraft, carrying astronauts, into lunar orbit. From there, the riskiest part of the mission begins—SpaceX’s Starship must ferry the astronauts from lunar orbit down to the moon’s surface and back again. This lunar lander, a gleaming stainless-steel behemoth, is still in development and, according to several former NASA officials, involves the “largest number of unproven technologies” of any part of the mission.
Senior NASA official Daniel Dumbacher didn’t mince words when speaking to The New York Times. “I doubt it can be done by 2030. And that means China will probably beat us to the moon,” he said, summing up the anxiety rippling through the U.S. space establishment. The concern is not just about national pride, but also about the broader implications for scientific leadership, international prestige, and even economic interests tied to lunar resources and technology.
Meanwhile, China’s own lunar ambitions have been advancing steadily. While the U.S. has been wrestling with the complexity of its Artemis plan, Chinese engineers have been methodically ticking off milestones. The new space race is no longer a relic of the Cold War—it’s a present-day competition with real consequences for the future of space exploration.
Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, recently delved into the reasons why the U.S. could lose this new space race. In a video published on September 20, 2025, Lipton outlines the mounting pressure on NASA and its partners, especially SpaceX, to deliver on their promises amid tight deadlines and technological hurdles. The video underscores how the U.S. and China are now locked in a high-stakes lunar rivalry, with each side eager to claim the next giant leap for mankind.
SpaceX, the private spaceflight company led by Elon Musk, is at the center of the Artemis III drama. The company’s Starship vehicle is responsible for the most daring part of the mission—landing astronauts on the moon and bringing them back safely. But Starship’s development has been beset by challenges. As reported by The New York Times, the company is juggling a vast array of new technologies, some of which have never been tested in the harsh environment of space, let alone on the moon.
Despite the doubts swirling around SpaceX’s readiness, some in Washington remain steadfast in their support. Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy expressed continued confidence in SpaceX’s role. According to The New York Times, Duffy told the newspaper that he still supports SpaceX’s participation in the U.S. lunar program. This backing is crucial, as SpaceX’s success or failure will likely determine whether Artemis III stays on track—or slips further into the future.
Elon Musk, never one to shy away from controversy, responded to the critical coverage with his trademark bluntness. On September 21, 2025, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to lambast the newspaper’s reporting. “The New York Times is not even suitable for a parrot cage mat, let alone for reading,” he wrote, dismissing the article and doubling down on his company’s ambitions. Musk’s reaction highlights the tension between public scrutiny and private innovation—a dynamic that has become a hallmark of the modern space race.
NASA’s Artemis program is, in many ways, a microcosm of the challenges facing large-scale technological endeavors in the 21st century. The program’s initial phase, Artemis I, was a success, demonstrating that the agency could still pull off complex space missions. But the subsequent steps—especially the lunar landing—require a level of coordination, innovation, and risk-taking that pushes the limits of current technology.
For now, the world watches as NASA and SpaceX race against the clock. The United States, once the undisputed leader in space exploration, now finds itself in a neck-and-neck contest with China. The outcome remains uncertain. Will American astronauts once again leave footprints on the moon before their Chinese counterparts? Or will the next chapter in lunar history be written in Mandarin?
What’s clear is that the new space race is about more than just rockets and landers. It’s a test of national resolve, technological prowess, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. As the deadlines slip and the stakes rise, every decision made at NASA, SpaceX, and their Chinese counterparts takes on outsized importance. The next few years will determine not only who wins the race to the moon, but also who leads humanity’s next great adventure beyond Earth.
With the clock ticking and ambitions soaring, the world waits to see which nation will claim the next lunar milestone. The finish line may be further away than anyone hoped, but the race is far from over.