The United States is heralding a major “gold rush” in space, and no country—from China to Russia—wants to be left behind!
NASA's ambitious plan to return humans to the Moon by 2025 has been in the works for quite some time. The Artemis program—America’s 21st-century lunar landing initiative—was launched under President Donald Trump’s administration through “Space Policy Directive 1” in December 2017. Now, it is on track to execute crucial missions that will reaffirm the U.S.'s superpower status in space exploration.
On a global scale, the U.S. is not alone in its quest for lunar exploration and long-term presence. Several nations worldwide are eager to join this new space race, each with a clear determination to stake their claim.
For some countries, space exploration serves as a powerful amplifier of national prestige and technological prowess. However, for many others, the “Moon Rush” is a fierce competition to secure the Moon’s valuable and scarce resources before others do.
For instance, the Moon’s reserves of water ice could be harvested and converted into rocket fuel, significantly reducing the cost of deep-space travel. Meanwhile, Helium-3—a rare element on Earth—holds the potential to power future spacecraft and even provide safer nuclear energy for fusion reactors, as it is non-radioactive and does not produce hazardous waste.
Unlike Earth, which is shielded by its magnetic field, the Moon has been bombarded with large amounts of Helium-3 by the solar wind. Scientists believe this isotope could revolutionize energy production, making space travel more sustainable.
Beyond Helium-3, the Moon is also rich in precious and rare metals that could drive next-generation technologies. These resources are becoming increasingly accessible on the Moon, perhaps even more so than on Earth.
In the coming years, we will witness a surge of lunar missions from various nations. Some will orbit the Moon, while others will land robotic probes. Some missions will go even further, deploying crewed landers, mobile exploration vehicles, and advanced robotics to dig deeper into lunar secrets.
The billions of dollars spent on these missions are just the beginning—merely a “prologue” to humanity’s permanent presence on the Moon. The long-term vision? To establish a refueling station for future journeys to Mars and beyond.
So, what exactly are these upcoming lunar missions?
NASA (USA): Artemis I, II, III – August 2022, 2023, 2025
The Artemis I mission is essentially a “one stone, two birds” test: It marks the first launch (uncrewed) of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) [the most powerful rocket in NASA's history, laying the foundation for future deep-space exploration by the U.S.]. At the same time, it serves as the first true deep-space test of the Orion spacecraft.
Although Orion in Artemis I will not carry a crew, several low-cost experiments will be conducted as part of the first mission under the Artemis Program.
This includes studying the lunar environment, such as measuring radiation levels and analyzing how lunar dust behaves during landing. However, the most exciting objective of Artemis I is to pinpoint the exact location of exposed water ice on Earth's natural satellite.
By 2023, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission. This time, the Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts on a flyby around the Moon to scout potential landing sites.
In 2025, if successful, Artemis III will once again captivate the world as the U.S. lands humans on the Moon after a 384,000 km journey. This time, history will be made with the first female astronaut and the first astronaut of color setting foot on Earth's natural satellite.
The total budget for NASA's Artemis Program is projected to reach $93 billion, according to data from NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG).
China: Chang'e 6 – 2024
China's highly successful Chang'e lunar exploration program shows no signs of slowing down.
Following the success of Chang'e 5, China plans to launch the Chang'e 6 mission in 2024, aiming to collect lunar samples from an even more challenging location on the far side of the Moon: the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin.
The SPA Basin is an ancient, massive impact crater with a diameter of approximately 2,500 km, covering nearly a quarter of the Moon's far side. Considered the oldest basin on the Moon, SPA holds crucial clues about the history of both the Moon and the Solar System.
Russia: Luna 25, 26, 27 – August 2022, 2024, 2025
The last mission in the Luna program took place in 1976, back when the Soviet Union still existed.
Determined not to fall behind in the 21st-century “Moon Rush,” Russia is reviving its lunar program with a series of new missions aimed at paving the way for future resource extraction.
After nearly five decades of hiatus, on August 22, 2022, Russia will relaunch its lunar exploration program by sending the Luna 25 probe. Luna 25 is set to land in the Moon's south polar region, just north of the Boguslavsky crater.
The mission of Luna 25 is to demonstrate new landing technologies and drill into the Moon's south pole surface to analyze the soil composition for water ice, Helium-3, carbon, nitrogen, precious metals, and any other valuable resources.
Following this, in 2024, Russia will launch Luna 26 to deploy a large scientific spacecraft into lunar orbit to map the potential locations of these resources across the Moon.
A year later, in 2025, the Luna 27 lander will touch down in the Aitken Basin on the Moon's far side to conduct a specialized search for minerals, volatile compounds (such as nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, methane, and sulfur dioxide), and water ice in permanently shadowed lunar regions.
Japan: SLIM – 2023
This is Japan’s first mission to the lunar surface.
If the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) wants to join the ranks of nations that have successfully landed on the Moon, this mission is crucial in proving JAXA’s capability for a safe lunar landing.
The SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) mission will leverage technology similar to facial recognition systems to identify lunar craters and determine a safe landing spot near the Marius Hills crater.
This area is believed to contain an ancient lava tube nearly 92 meters deep, which could potentially shield future human outposts from solar radiation.
SLIM embodies the research and development of precision landing techniques, showcasing cutting-edge technology for lunar exploration. If successful, these innovations will propel JAXA toward achieving the essential capabilities for future Moon exploration missions.
South Korea: KPLO (Danuri) – August 2022
This marks South Korea’s biggest step into the world of space exploration. Using six different instruments, the KPLO (Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter)—the country’s first lunar orbiter—will work to detect the presence of natural resources on the Moon, such as water ice, Helium-3, and precious metals, from lunar orbit.
Developed and managed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), KPLO will orbit the Moon for one year after launch, carrying a series of South Korean experiments along with a U.S.-built instrument, ShadowCam.
The mission’s goals include developing lunar exploration technologies, demonstrating a “space internet”, and conducting scientific investigations on the Moon’s environment, terrain, and resources. Additionally, KPLO will help identify potential landing sites for South Korea’s future lunar missions.
KPLO will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
India: Chandrayaan 3 – 2023
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced plans to launch the Chandrayaan 3 mission in the first quarter of 2023. Following the setback of Chandrayaan 2, this mission aims to demonstrate India's ability to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon, paving the way for future lunar exploration.
Once on the Moon, Chandrayaan 3 will conduct investigations to help determine the characteristics of water ice deposits at the lunar south pole.
If successful, India will join the exclusive group of nations that have achieved a soft landing on the Moon’s surface.
