China plans to land astronauts on moon before 2030, another step in what looks like a new space race

China plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030. Deputy Director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency Lin Xiqiang confirmed the goal at a news conference Monday, but gave no specific date. Lin also said China plans to expand its orbiting crewed space station with an additional module. Space is increasingly seen as a new area of competition between China and the United States. NASA aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025. They’ll aim for the south pole where permanently shadowed craters are believed to be packed with frozen water.