Nasa's Artemis III mission, aiming to return humans to the Moon, is drawing criticism for selecting an all-male crew, despite previous commitments to diversity and landing the first woman and person of color on the Moon. Nasa defends the choice, citing mission requirements and astronaut expertise.
China launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a crew rotation and to continue long-duration experiments. The mission highlights China's space program and its international cooperation efforts.
China's Manned Space Agency reports smooth progress on its crewed lunar exploration program, emphasizing peaceful use of space and no competition with other nations.
US lawmakers at a congressional hearing identified China as the 'most consequential threat and competitor in space,' warning that Beijing leverages its space capabilities 'as a tool of diplomacy and influence.' The two superpowers are in a tight race to the moon, with China targeting a 2030 crewed lunar landing and the US aiming to return astronauts by 2028 via the Artemis programme. A CSIS expert testified that the nation setting space standards will 'set the terms by which information flows, networks interoperate, and how the world is seen.'
President Trump expressed confidence in NASA's ability to land astronauts on the Moon before his potential second term ends in 2029. He met with the Artemis II crew at the White House, celebrating their recent deep-space mission. This comes as NASA targets a crewed lunar landing in 2028, though development timelines for landers remain a concern.
