Did the US lose the space race to China? Former NASA chief reacts to Musk

Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said problems with Elon Musk's Starship rocket are setting the US back in the space race with China .

Bridenstine, recalling the planned use of Starship to carry astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis program, emphasized that the rocket's complexity and reliance on undeveloped technologies pose serious risks. Speaking to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Bridenstine said, "Unless something changes, it is unlikely that the US will reach the lunar surface before China."

SpaceX has conducted numerous tests for Starship to date. After a major blowout during ground tests in June, the company successfully completed its first test flight this year. Starship made history as the largest rocket ever built.

"IT WAS NOT A DESIGN NASA WOULD HAVE CHOSEN"

NASA signed a multibillion-dollar contract with SpaceX in 2021, selecting Starship to send humans to the Moon after 50 years. However, Bridenstine noted that this decision was made during a period without a permanent NASA administrator, saying, “One of the biggest decisions in NASA history was made in the absence of an administrator. It was not a design that any NASA administrator would have chosen.”

The Artemis mission was initially scheduled for December 2025. However, due to delays in testing, a manned lunar landing is expected to occur in September 2026 at the earliest. Meanwhile, China completed the first test of its lunar lander last month and aims to achieve the first manned landing before 2030.