China’s 2027 crewed circumlunar mission sparks renewed space race

NASA chief says China is expected to perform a crewed circumlunar flight around the Moon in 2027, a development echoed by Jared Isaacman who warned the next Moon mission will be taikonauts. The comments underscore a perceived space-race dynamic between the U.S. and China, while Isaacman has pushed to accelerate Artemis—now reframed as a 2027 low-Earth-orbit test (Artemis 3) followed by a 2028 lunar landing (Artemis 4)—and Congress has signaled support with increased exploration funding. All crewed lunar missions to date have been NASA missions.