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The successful August test of China's Lanyue lunar module sent shockwaves through the global space community. Prominent US space journalist Eric Berger reacted sharply, suggesting that China is on track to land astronauts on the Moon in the 2020s -- potentially ahead of the United States. "At this point, it is hard to come to any other conclusion," he remarked. A Chinese lunar program expert interviewed by Berger went even further, saying such a landing would expose America's inability to repeat its achievements of 60 years ago.

The issue soon reached Capitol Hill, where both congressmen and a former NASA administrator admitted that, under current conditions, the United States risks losing the new Moon race to China. Acting NASA chief Sean Duffy declared defiantly:

"I'll be damned if that happens. We will beat the Chinese to the Moon."

But observers note that Duffy is only a temporary appointee, and few other top officials share his confidence.

The concerns are rooted in repeated test failures of SpaceX's Starship, NASA's designated lunar lander. In June 2025, even a static engine test ended in an explosion that heavily damaged the launch stand. A string of similar failures has reinforced the perception that the US program is faltering. By contrast, China's Lanyue module and the first-stage burn of its Great March-10 rocket were executed without major issues -- suggesting Beijing is advancing more smoothly toward its goal.

Many in Washington fear a repeat of the psychological blow Americans felt in 1957 when the USSR launched Sputnik ahead of the US. For a country that prides itself on space leadership, being second in a new lunar race would be deeply unsettling.

In reality, only two nations are seriously pursuing regular deep space missions: the United States and China. Russia, once a pioneer, has not managed a successful planetary landing in the post-Soviet era. Its next planned lunar mission, Luna-27, is slated for 2029, but even insiders doubt that schedule. Other countries' programs are even less ambitious, leaving the US-China rivalry to dominate future lunar exploration.

Unlike NASA's ambitious and complex Artemis III, China's lunar strategy resembles the straightforward design of Wernher von Braun's Apollo-era program. The Great March-10 rocket will carry both a capsule resembling Apollo and a separate lander much like the 1969 "Eagle." The crew size is also limited to two, and plans even include a lunar rover, echoing the US missions of the 1970s. Simpler, proven methods may allow China to achieve results faster.