Like the US, China is seeking allies to boost its lunar ambitions. Russia, South Africa, Pakistan, Egypt, Serbia, Belarus and Azerbaijan are among the countries that have backed its plan for an international lunar research station. China also has said it wants to launch crewed missions to Mars and build a permanently inhabited base there.

The United States has been vocal about wanting to beat China back to the surface of the Moon. In February, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said that the agency faced “credible competition from our greatest geopolitical adversary” and needed to “move faster, eliminate delays and achieve our objectives”.

From outdated tech to funding hurdles, here’s why astronauts haven’t landed on the moon in over five decades

From monitoring Mercury to launching a new adventure to an icy moon of Jupiter, spacecraft and astronauts made great strides in 2024. Here are some of the highlights of this year in space. The moon has been a hot destination for space agencies and private ...

Four uncrewed lunar lander missions are set for 2026, paving the way for NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the moon.

Gregory Manchess, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, designed the patch currently being worn by the four-member crew for the Artemis II moon mission. According to a post by Manchess on the site Muddy Colors, he began designing the patch about two years ago as the crew trained for the mission.

Four uncrewed lunar lander missions are set for 2026, paving the way for NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the moon.

The Artemis II crew talked about their historic lunar flyby and what they saw on their way back to Earth.