US in real danger of losing the moon race to China, experts tell Senate

The US Senate convened a hearing about the space program which they titled "Bad Moon on the Rise."  Because, you know, there are no other pressing needs for the senate to tackle right now.  <sarcasm=high>

The central theme was that without Artemis (the planned moon mission that is waaaaay behind schedule), and the Lunar Gateway Space Station (that is intended to replace the ISS, and which just started construction and should be ready for a 2030 space deployment) adhering to the planned schedules,  China will reach the moon before the US.

The important takeaway is: 

Witnesses underscored that delays, budget uncertainty, or wavering commitments could undermine both U.S. industry and international alliances, warning that uncertainty could drive partners and suppliers toward China's accelerating lunar mission technologies.

And that right there. That's exactly what this administration set out to do with budget cuts, installing stupid people at the head of the agency, and generally not having a clue what they are doing.

Having a Senate committee look into it is nice, but doesn't change the facts.  China will win this battle and get to the moon before we return.  But hey, maybe we can be first to Mars.

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/us-in-real-danger-of-losing-the-moon-race-to-china-experts-tell-senate