NASA Plans Moon Village by 2035, Eyes Mars Within Decade

5 HOURS AGO·UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO

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Above: NASA Administrator Sean Duffy speaks at a ceremony at the NASA Johnson Space Center on Sept. 22, 2025. Image copyright: Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

The U.S. is in a second space race with China, and the Trump administration is determined to win. However, to reach Mars, America must first re-establish its lunar dominance. A permanent presence on the moon is the key to achieving this, and acts as a springboard for future American missions to the Red Planet.

Trump NASA

Pro-China narrative

America's obsession with outer space is rooted in the country's distrust and hostility toward China. Rather than for science or technology, the U.S. is madly chasing these goals to win its imaginary "new cold war." China will not entertain such frivolous exercises — instead, it will pursue space exploration that is universally beneficial.

Global Times