Race to the Moon

Congressional Insider -  The United States is racing to plant a permanent flag on the Moon by the early 2030s — and the urgency goes well beyond science.

NASA’s March 2026 national space policy commits to returning astronauts to the Moon and building a permanent lunar base, framing it as essential to American leadership in space.

The lunar south pole, described by NASA as “strategically and scientifically valuable,” is the target site — largely because of water-ice deposits that could fuel long-duration missions and eventual Mars travel.

SpaceX’s Starship is set to begin cargo flights to the lunar surface no earlier than 2028 at roughly $100 million per mission, with Blue Origin’s lander also selected for uncrewed cargo runs.

While NASA publicly emphasizes exploration, science, and Mars preparation, analysts and outside observers increasingly read the program as a strategic hedge against China’s own advancing lunar ambitions