Can America get back to the Moon before China?

Space Technologies

Good morning,

This week, China released its roadmap through 2050 for space.  The roadmap is certainly aspirational, seeking to explore the origin and evolution of the universe, uncovering the nature of gravity and space-time, exploring for habitable exoplanets, and searching for extra-terrestrial life.  The roadmap is broken up into three stages, the first covering three years, the second covering seven years, and the final stage covering the remaining 15 years.   

Their goals for space exploration include a manned Martian mission early in the second stage and—more importantly—the language in the roadmap suggests that China will attempt a manned Lunar landing by 2027.  If there's been any doubt, 2027 is an important year for the country, marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the People's Liberation Army.  And that year is thrown around A LOT as a benchmark for a China wanting to have modernized its military sufficiently to recapture Taiwan.  While there is a theory that Xi wa…