The Artemis II mission to the Moon launched on April 1, 2026 successfully returned its four-member crew to Earth ten days later. The mission was the first-time astronauts were sent to the moon in over 50 years. While Artemis II represents the epitome of technological development, it also takes the outer space race to the next level. The 1960s space race was about prestige and getting to outer space first; the 21st-century race – Space Race 2.0 – is about marking presence, a race for resources, and a new frontier for major power competition. While the 20th-century competition was primarily between the U.S. and USSR, today more countries are entering the fray. Six countries have had some missions to the moon, including the U.S., Russia, China, India, Japan, and the EU. Non-governmental entities like SpaceX, Space Machines, Blue Origin, Boeing, and others are also joining the Moon race.
The race to the Moon is heating up primarily between the U.S. and China for sustainable lunar presence. China’s lunar programme has been developing at a steady pace with plans for a crewed lunar landing by 2030. The U.S. is aiming for Artemis III for 2028, expected to achieve the first crewed lunar landing of the U.S. programme, and Artemis IV is aimed around 2029, expected to initiate assembling of the Lunar Gateway space station in orbit. The future vision may be even more ambitious. As Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, posted on X in February 2026, “SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years.”[1]
