Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample, the Atlantic journalist Ross Andersen, and Jan Wörner, a former director general of the European Space Agency

From a race with China to lunar discoveries, the US is investing time, effort and money to head to the Moon - and beyond.

The first lunar mission since 1972 is about to lift off. It may not be as groundbreaking as the Apollo flights, but don’t write off the fascination the moon still exerts, says…