NASA administrator says "we are very much in a space race right now" against China

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July 5, 2026 / 2:13 PM EDT

/ CBS News

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Washington — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sunday that the U.S. is "very much in a space race right now" against China, as the two countries vie to land astronauts on the moon and secure a near-permanent presence on the lunar surface."The Chinese are moving at incredible speeds, and they are certainly capable of doing what the Soviets were not during the first space race," Isaacman said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."While the U.S. is aiming to get astronauts back to the moon for landing in 2028, China is looking to send its own "taikonauts" to the moon before 2030. But Isaacman stressed that the timelines are closer than they appear."They are thinking in 2029, we're saying end of 2028 is when we're targeting the landing," he said. "That is months, not years.Isaacman said the Chinese "will land their taikonauts on the moon — there's no question." "The question is, will the United States return before them, and will we do so in a different way this time?" he said. "Will we build the base, establish that enduring presence? I think the answer is yes."After four astronauts looped around the moon on the Artemis II mission in April, NASA earlier this month announced the crew of the next Artemis program set to take place next year. The Artemis III mission, aiming to test critical lunar landing systems, will mark a key milestone before the U.S. can send astronauts back to the moon for landing in 2028.