China Launches Shenzhou-23 With First Year-Long Mission
Is NASA's Artemis program the clear leader in the new space race or is China quietly pulling ahead?
Above: Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying attend a send-off ceremony at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on May 24. Image credit: VCG/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
NASA's Artemis program is a full-scale plan to establish a permanent lunar outpost with habitats, robotics and long-duration crews as a direct stepping stone to Mars. China has never landed anyone on the Moon, while NASA already has a woman assigned for lunar orbit. Aspirations and orbital missions don't close that gap.
Pro-China narrative
China just launched its 23rd crewed space mission, with its astronauts spending a full year in orbit to test the exact conditions needed for future Moon bases and long-term deep-space habitation. Artemis keeps slipping while Beijing keeps executing on schedule. The first woman to reach the Moon may very well be from China as this trend continues.