The "new race for the Moon" between China and the United States: debates and perspectives

Abstract

On 16 December 2020, the Chinese Chang’e 5 lunar probe successfully brought back about 2 kilograms of soil and rock samples gathered from the lunar surface. The reentry of the capsule is only the last step in an advanced Lunar exploration program, which constitutes a serious cause of concern among US observers. The present essay aims to analyse the US reaction to Beijing's lunar successes; furthermore, drawing on a wide range of Chinese-language sources, it reconstructs the debate that emerged in the PRC on the new US Moon exploration program, Artemis, which is about to start.