China and Russia are teaming up against NASA in the race to put a base on the Moon
When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in 1969, it was one of, if not the most, iconic moments in human history; and it had immense geopolitical consequences. For the previous decade and a half, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a high-stakes space race with each power seeking to demonstrate their technological and ideological might in opening up the ‘final frontier’, setting off a legacy that would capture the global public imagination even to this present day. Yet it was not as one-sided as America claimed, don’t forget that Moscow previously beat Washington on every step of the journey, placing the first satellite, animal, man, and woman into space, yet America ultimately stole the show with Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind.”
Now, 53 years later, history may be about to repeat itself, in some respects. The Moon is lighting itself up again in the eyes of the major powers, but for more practical and tangible reasons, as opposed to ones of sentimentality or pride, amidst what has been widely described as a “New Cold War.” This time, it’s largely between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, but also in the mix is the Russian Federation. With Moscow teaming up with Beijing, a new race to the Moon has already kicked off, not just to simply reach it, but to build on it, a competition to claim yet another historically defining moment, the first man-made structures and facilities ever built ‘off world’, a development which will have enormous military and strategic implications.