China’s race to build a permanent base on the Moon is accelerating, putting additional pressure on the US and affecting the future direction of Moon exploration. With its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program, China, in cooperation with Russia, wants to build an operational research facility on the south pole of the Moon, with existing missions being used to test technologies to achieve this. NASA’s Artemis program has also not been immune to difficulties such as delays and redesign. It can be seen that the current race is not just for flags but for sustainable bases on the Moon.
from china International Lunar Research Station moving forward rapidly
It is also important to acknowledge that the Chinese approach has recently become much more organized and systematic. Thus, the country’s International Lunar Research Station, built jointly with Russia, seeks to develop a manned scientific station close to the moon’s south pole region by 2035.As can be seen in the long-term plan made by the China National Space Administration, this process will take place in several stages. As a result, Chang’e-7 is expected to explore ice water resources around Shackleton Crater, while Chang’e-8 will use lunar soil to test different construction techniques. Ultimately, “in-situ resource utilization” will enable astronauts to build structures, produce oxygen, and even generate fuel directly from lunar resources.The ILRS program has also gained an increasing number of international partnerships. Orbit Codex reports in its article that more than 17 countries and several research organizations have already joined the project.Speaking about the presentations hosted by Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, Global Times heard experts discuss various topics related to the ILRS. One of them was a nuclear reactor intended to ensure permanent operation on the Moon.
NASA’s Artemis Moon program faces increasing pressure
While the roadmap for Chinese space exploration looks increasingly stable, NASA’s plans under the Artemis program are constantly changing. The US will continue its efforts to land astronauts on the lunar surface, but the deadline will now be 2028.An important part of the Lunar Gateway was supposed to be the center of NASA’s activities. Despite this, the organization decided to adjust the project and focus on building a moon base on the ground rather than on top of it.According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the future Artemis Base Camp will at first look like a “junkyard of the future” by the time it becomes operational.The political climate in the United States is also increasingly supportive of the idea. According to a report prepared by the Senate Committee on NASA Authorization Act of 2026, the bill explicitly calls on NASA to build a permanent moon because “space is not just symbolic; it is strategic. The NASA Authorization Act ensures that America, not China, will lead the next era of exploration,” said Senator Cruz.Now it is not only a competition for exploration, but also a competition over strategically important areas, including the south pole of the Moon with reserves of water ice.
Why is the Moon’s south pole so important?
The South Pole of the Moon has emerged as the focus of the present-day space race due to its potential resource availability. Scientists at Cornell University believe that permanently shadowed areas of the South Pole contain frozen water that could provide drinking water, oxygen production and the creation of rocket fuel.In addition to the scientific importance, studies regarding future settlement on the Moon have shown that the polar regions may actually be safe for astronauts to stay for a long time. According to a study on micrometeoroids and their impacts in the Artemis era, the Moon’s poles experience fewer micrometeoroids than other areas. From a purely economic point of view, the South Pole could prove quite beneficial.
The new space race is about sustainability, not prestige
Unlike the Cold War-era moon race of the 1960s, the current rivalry is about establishing something more permanent. China and the US don’t just want to take their astronauts to the lunar surface. Rather, they want to establish operational stations beyond Earth.The Artemis Agreement and the ILRS collaboration have managed to establish two competing approaches to exploring the Moon. The US-led coalition approach competes with an alternative revolving around China’s rapidly growing Moon mission program.There is much speculation as to whether China can truly remain “two steps ahead” of the United States. After all, NASA has a large amount of accumulated technical expertise and has many commercial partners, such as SpaceX. At the same time, it cannot be denied that China’s well-intentioned steps regarding the Moon have been successful in attracting global attention. For decades now, the Moon has represented past accomplishments. For the first time, it represents the future.