Recently, NASA began working on a plan to put an American on the moon for the first time in over 50 years.

The Artemis missions will continue in the coming years ahead.

The first Artemis mission, which was unmanned, took place two years ago.

Artemis II will be a manned space mission and orbit the moon.  It is scheduled to launch in 2025.

The following year, 2026, Artemis III is scheduled to launch and land astronauts near the lunar South Pole.

Finally, in 2028, Artemis IV will embark on the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station.

Why have there been delays?

For one, NASA has been almost completely reliant on Space X, the research and development institution run by Elon Musk.

Unfortunately, Space X experienced a setback recently when its unmanned “Starship” spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, exploded.

An additional problem is that the lunar rover component of the mission is not completely operational at the moment and more works needs to be completed.

The New Space Race

During the mid and later parts of the 20th century, there was a Cold War and “space race” between the former Soviet Union and the United States.

This race was to see which nation could put a man into space and on the moon first.

However, over 50 years later, there is a new nation interested in advancing its own interests in space.

This new nation is the People’s Republic of China, the second most powerful and populous nation in the world.

China has stated that they aim to get one of their own citizens on the moon by the end of the decade. 

Will a new “space race” begin?

Of course no one has that answer right now, but NASA is fully prepared to make sure the United States remains the undisputed world leader in space exploration in the years and decades ahead.