The second space race is underway, with the US, China, and private companies racing to build permanent lunar bases. NASA, under Administrator Jared Isaacman, has outlined an ambitious plan involving drones, robotic landers, nuclear power, and scientific instruments, with initial astronaut missions targeted for 2028 and long-term habitation in the 2030s. China has near-identical plans, and the first nation to establish a base will shape the moon’s future.
The moon offers scientific value—ancient rocks, telescope sites, and low-gravity launch points—but building a self-sustaining base faces huge challenges: radiation, micrometeorites, extreme temperatures, and the need for autonomous construction. Experts call it "starting civilization from scratch.".
Source: MIT Technology Review · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing