Artemis II: The United States, China, and the Second Lunar Race

... end of this decade are lagging behind. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) that carried the Orion spacecraft and the Artemis II crew to the Moon is only designed to orbit the Moon but not to land on the lunar surface. In order to put humans back on the Moon, NASA needs a lander. SpaceX won the competition to design the lunar lander for Artemis III, but has not yet completed a prototype, although it is expected to be ready for testing next year. Arguably, Elon Musk’s extensive involvement in politics last ...