NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon shows how US space strategy has changed since Apollo – and contrasts with China’s closed program

Today, there aren’t just two countries competing to get to the Moon. More countries have space programs, and private industry plays a larger role.

By: Michelle L.D. Hanlon, University of Mississippi, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 27, 2026

Words: 1,368

Last Updated: 21 hours, 39 minutes ago

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By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, University of Mississippi

When Apollo 13 looped around the Moon in April 1970, more than 40 million people around the world watched the United States recover from a potential catastrophe. An oxygen tank explosion turned a planned landing into an urgent exercise in problem-solving, and the three astronauts on board used the Moon’s gravity to sling themselves safely home. It was a moment of extraordinary human drama, and a revealing …

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