USA To Return To The Moon For First Time In 50 Years

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USA To Return To The Moon For First Time In 50 Years

Trending Politics News
By Mark Steffen
September 4, 2025



In a remarkable acknowledgement of where the U.S. space program is headed, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that NASA is preparing to return a manned crew to the surface of the moon for the first time in 50 years.

Duffy, who also serves as the Acting Director for NASA, revealed that a four-man crew will be bound for the moon in 2026, when they will undertake a mission to lay the foundations of a U.S. forward operating base. The expedition is expected to last between eight and 12 days.

“The U.S. comes in peace. We want to win the second space race to the moon, but we know that China wants to get there before us,” Duffy explained on Fox News on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told a U.S. Senate committee that he believes it is “highly unlikely” that the U.S. space program can beat China’s projected timeline and return to the moon first.

NASA’s Artemis program seeks to counter that effort, Duffy responded.

“We’re not gonna let it happen,” he said, adding, “We hope we can do it in the first part of the year.”

“That is gonna be a mission and a four-man crew that’s gonna go out and around the moon. Artemis III is gonna be when we land back on the moon. We’ll stay for a longer period of time, anywhere from eight to 12 days on the moon. The longest time in the past was three days, and again we’re gonna start sending payloads to the moon to start building our base camp.”

The Artemis missions will ostensibly serve as a precursor to manned missions to Mars, Duffy revealed, which he expects to take place in the next decade.

“What we learn on the mission to the moon is gonna be critical to make sure we can sustain life,” he said.

https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/new-usa-to-return-to-the-moon-for-first-time-in-50-years-mstef/

[Timber Rattler]

Party like its 1969 all over again!

[berdie]

I'm not sure about this. I doubt that colonization of the moon would be useful. It's not like there aren't tons of satellites already flying around that could cause destruction.

I do recall an episode of Twilight Zone where prisoners were incarcerated on other planets. That might work!

[Wingnut]

We need to set up our Death Ray on the Moon.  Similar to Marvin's Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator,

[mountaineer]

I'd like to see the cost-benefit analysis on this one.

[corbe]

[Kamaji]

I'm not sure about this. I doubt that colonization of the moon would be useful. It's not like there aren't tons of satellites already flying around that could cause destruction.

I do recall an episode of Twilight Zone where prisoners were incarcerated on other planets. That might work!

As a stepping stone to getting into the rest of the Solar system it’s pretty useful.  It would also be a good spot for building really large mass drivers that could pummel Earth targets into oblivion, which is most likely what China and Russia would do there if not opposed by the U.S. 

[DB]

Need to figure out how to live on the moon in order to be able to live on Mars successfully. The moon provides a quick escape if something goes wrong. Nothing quick about Mars.

[berdie]

As a stepping stone to getting into the rest of the Solar system it’s pretty useful.  It would also be a good spot for building really large mass drivers that could pummel Earth targets into oblivion, which is most likely what China and Russia would do there if not opposed by the U.S.

Although I will agree we need to keep up with China/Russia...couldn't Earth targets be pummeled by existing satellite technology @Kamagi?

I'd have to look up how far the moon is from other planets, that might be hospital to humans to make an accurate assessment of how cost worthy it would be.

[Smokin Joe]

Although I will agree we need to keep up with China/Russia...couldn't Earth targets be pummeled by existing satellite technology @Kamagi?

I'd have to look up how far the moon is from other planets, that might be hospital to humans to make an accurate assessment of how cost worthy it would be.

We could drop stuff from orbit, but we'd have to put it there first. The "Rods from God" concept (SDI) would have used high density rods traveling at high speeds, and causes impacts with the force of nuclear weapons.
The problem, however, involved getting objects (likely Tungsten rods) into orbit in the first place. While a lot cheaper (here, on earth), those rods with a density close to that of gold, would be worth their weight in it by the time they got up there in orbit (shipping and handling would not be cheap).

On the moon, though, you could mine the bits you threw at earth, even launch sizeable rocks...

If you watched The Expanse, Marco Ineros (sp?) (rogue ''Belter') was launching stealth coated rocks at earth in an attack, with devastating results.

[Timber Rattler]

Although "alternative" history, the show "For All Mankind" on Apple TV shows what colonization of the Moon, and then Mars, might looks like.

[BobfromWB]

To go to the Moon - to orbit the Moon is one thing, its another to land on it, and still another to set up a base which is the objective.

China is working on a man-rated lunar lander. The US jut let  the contract for a lander a week ago to SpaceX. It takes years to design & build a lander, and still more years to man-rate it.

Artemis will get their capsule to lunar orbit, but not to the surface, and not set up a base.

Do not expect any landing on the Moon by the US until 2029-2030 at the very earliest. But China will already be there by then.

This situation is squarely on Congress which has repeatedly cut NASA's budget and would have caused the agency to pretty much fold, had not a last minute supplemental been added. 47 and many in Congress do not like NASA and like even less the idea of a manned return to the Moon.

If NASA's budget were tripled there might be a chance of beating China - but that will not happen as long as 47 has anything to say about NASA's budget ... he even killed the nomination of Jared Isaacman, who could have successfully led NASA back to the Moon and beaten China, in favor of a talk show host that also runs Transportation.

Not much love there.

[BobfromWB]

Although "alternative" history, the show "For All Mankind" on Apple TV shows what colonization of the Moon, and then Mars, might looks like.

Might look like, if you like comic book portrayals. Space is hard, and space is expensive.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Return?  I thought the 'Moon Landings' were staged.

We're wasting all that potential NASA money on Global Climate Change Nonsese ... just as the Chinese Communist Party planned.

The greatest opportunity cost of Nonsense is time, not money.  Money can be printed, counterfeited, stolen, etc.; but time cannot.

[Wingnut]

Just remember, There is no dark side of the Moon.
It's all dark, really.

[Timber Rattler]

Space is hard, and space is expensive.

That's the point of the show though.  Lots of people die during the course of its four seasons, some pretty horribly.

[Kamaji]

Although I will agree we need to keep up with China/Russia...couldn't Earth targets be pummeled by existing satellite technology @Kamagi?

I'd have to look up how far the moon is from other planets, that might be hospital to humans to make an accurate assessment of how cost worthy it would be.

Launching kinetic weapons from orbit is not nearly as good as launching them from the Moon.  Mine rock on the moon, encase it in a metal frame work (also mined from the moon) and you’ve got kinetic weapons to rival thermonuclear bombs.   Satellites in Earth orbit are also a lot easier to knock down; a bunkered installation on the Moon would be very difficult to destroy.

[BobfromWB]

Launching kinetic weapons from orbit is not nearly as good as launching them from the Moon.  Mine rock on the moon, encase it in a metal frame work (also mined from the moon) and you’ve got kinetic weapons to rival thermonuclear bombs.   Satellites in Earth orbit are also a lot easier to knock down; a bunkered installation on the Moon would be very difficult to destroy.

When China gets to the Moon in 2030-32, they announced that one of the first things they will do, is begin construction of an electronic Mass Driver ...


Do not expect the US to get there first, unless Congress gives many many billions to NASA for a crash program. The current one is so far behind the Chinese effort that it is laughable.

Before the naysayers jump in, know that when it comes to space, the Chinese have hit every goal and milestone announced. What they announce, they do and on time. They have landed twice on the Moon, which the US has yet to do again, and even returned a sample mission to Earth. The Chinese know that being first to the moon this time means domination; they will hold the keys to Earth with the completion of the Mass Driver [ think the mythical Rods from God on steroids ].

[Kamaji]

When China gets to the Moon in 2030-32, they announced that one of the first things they will do, is begin construction of an electronic Mass Driver ...


Do not expect the US to get there first, unless Congress gives many many billions to NASA for a crash program. The current one is so far behind the Chinese effort that it is laughable.

Before the naysayers jump in, know that when it comes to space, the Chinese have hit every goal and milestone announced. What they announce, they do and on time. They have landed twice on the Moon, which the US has yet to do again, and even returned a sample mission to Earth. The Chinese know that being first to the moon this time means domination; they will hold the keys to Earth with the completion of the Mass Driver [ think the mythical Rods from God on steroids ].

That is the concern.