US and China vie for lunar real estate

The sunrise casts a golden glow on the Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft. – NASA/TNS

SPURRED to action by China’s sudden advances in space exploration, former President Donald Trump’s administration in 2017 launched the Artemis programme, which began with an un-crewed orbital mission in 2022.

American space agency Nasa plans for a crew to orbit the moon this year with Artemis II. Then, in September 2026 – two years later than initially anticipated – Artemis III plans to return a crew to the moon for the first time in over 53 years, including the first woman and first person of color.