Isaacman predicts Chinese circumlunar mission in 2027
Posted: Sat, May 23, 2026, 8:14 AM ET (1214 GMT)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says he expects China to send astronauts around the moon next year. In a speech at the ASCEND conference Tuesday, Isaacman said the next people to fly around the moon after Artemis 2 will be Chinese taikonauts in 2027, meaning the U.S. "will no longer be the exclusive power to send humans into the lunar environment." He did not elaborate on that assessment, but repeated it at another event later in the day. China has not formally announced plans for a circumlunar mission but is rumored to be considering one as part of efforts to land humans on the moon by the end of the decade. Isaacman has previously warned of a space race between China and the United States to eb the next land humans on the moon, stating that "the difference between success and failure will be measured in months, not years."
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says he expects China to send astronauts around the moon next year. In a speech at the ASCEND conference Tuesday, Isaacman said the next people to fly around the moon after Artemis 2 will be Chinese taikonauts in 2027, meaning the U.S. "will no longer be the exclusive power to send humans into the lunar environment." He did not elaborate on that assessment, but repeated it at another event later in the day. China has not formally announced plans for a circumlunar mission but is rumored to be considering one as part of efforts to land humans on the moon by the end of the decade. Isaacman has previously warned of a space race between China and the United States to eb the next land humans on the moon, stating that "the difference between success and failure will be measured in months, not years."
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