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Lunar horizon with Earthrise · Apollo 8 / NASA, public domain
Live desk · return to the Moon

Next Steps on the Moon

Who returns to the lunar surface — and how close are they, really? A continuously reviewed guide to the programmes defining the new lunar era.

COMPARE PROGRAMMES TIMELINE LATEST UPDATES
Monitoring status

Dates are targets, not guarantees. We revise them when official plans change.

Editorially reviewed · 23 Aug 2026
TAB. I · USA × CHINA

Two paths to the surface

One destination, distinct architectures and different risks. The comparison separates demonstrated capabilities from publicly announced milestones.

United States · NASA & partners
Artemis I mission patch01

Artemis

First planned landing · 2028

Artemis IV, after a 2027 systems demonstration

A coalition-led architecture: NASA provides SLS and Orion, while commercial partners develop the human landing systems. The campaign now puts a crewed integration test before the first return to the surface.

CAPABILITY SET
  • SLS heavy-lift rocket and Orion crew spacecraft
  • Two commercial landing paths: Starship and Blue Moon
  • International crew and lunar-orbit operations experience
NEXT MONITORED STEP

Artemis III · crewed lander rendezvous and docking test in Earth orbit

Key dependency: lander readiness and integrated operations.

NASA · Artemis program ↗
China · CMSA / CNSA
Long March 3B launch, a launcher used by Chang’e lunar missions02

Crewed lunar programme

Crewed landing · before 2030

A national programme with a parallel robotic south-pole campaign

China is developing its crew vehicle, lunar lander, heavy launcher, surface suit and rover together. Its plan calls for two launches and a rendezvous in lunar orbit before a surface sortie.

CAPABILITY SET
  • Long March 10 launcher and Mengzhou crew spacecraft
  • Lanyue lander, Wangyu suit and Tansuo rover in development
  • Chang’e robotic missions building south-pole knowledge
NEXT MONITORED STEP

Chang’e 7 · south-pole resource and environment survey

Key dependency: first flights and full-system qualification.

China State Council / Xinhua ↗
TAB. II · CONTEXT

The new era has a long trail

Filter today’s USA–China contest against the Russian and Soviet lunar legacy — from the first impact to sample-return missions.

1959
Russia / USSR

Luna 2 reaches the Moon

The first human-made object to reach the lunar surface.

1969
USA / NASA

Apollo 11 lands

The first crewed lunar landing starts the only human surface era so far.

1970
Russia / USSR

Lunokhod 1 drives on the Moon

The Soviet Union begins the first remote rover mission on another world.

1976
Russia / USSR

Luna 24 returns samples

The final Soviet lunar sample-return mission of the original Space Race.

2013
China

Chang’e 3 lands with Yutu

China returns a soft lander and rover to the Moon after a long global pause.

2019
China

Chang’e 4 reaches the far side

First soft landing on the far side of the Moon.

2020
China

Chang’e 5 brings samples home

China becomes the third country to return lunar material to Earth.

2022
USA / NASA

Artemis I flies around the Moon

Orion completes its uncrewed deep-space flight test.

2024
China

Chang’e 6 returns far-side samples

The first samples collected from the Moon’s far side arrive on Earth.

2026
USA / NASA

Artemis II completes lunar flyby

NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission becomes the bridge to the landing campaign.

TAB. II · Editorial updates

Editorial updates

A concise record of schedule changes, announcements and tests. Every entry leads to its primary source.

03 ENTRIES
USA

Artemis III confirmed as a 2027 orbital test mission

NASA named a four-person crew and clarified that Artemis III will test Orion rendezvous and docking with one or both commercial landers in low Earth orbit. The lunar landing is now targeted for Artemis IV in 2028.

Primary source ↗NASA
CHINA

Chang’e 7 targets the lunar south pole in the second half of 2026

China says the Chang’e 7 spacecraft is at Wenchang for pre-launch preparations. Its south-pole survey is designed to combine an orbiter, lander, rover and hopping probe.

Primary source ↗China State Council / Xinhua
CHINA

China maintains its goal of a crewed landing before 2030

The programme is developing the Long March 10, Mengzhou spacecraft, Lanyue lander, Wangyu suit and Tansuo rover. Its plan calls for two launches and a lunar-orbit rendezvous.

Primary source ↗China State Council / Xinhua
Explore related articles
Article index →Timeline →Russia / USSR in the historical timeline
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