Reports
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation Hearing – There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Introduction
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing entitled “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race” on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. The hearing detailed the United States’ and China’s lunar ambitions and what is at stake for the country that arrives first. A commanding presence on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit will influence global communications, diplomacy, technology, and resource usage for future space missions. A growing number of space and political experts say that recently proposed NASA budget cuts imperil the United States’ chances of maintaining space superiority.
Several key senators on the committee represent some of the largest aerospace economies in the nation:
Senator Ted Cruz, Republican member from Texas, home to Johnson Space Center and SpaceX Starbase
Senator John Hickenlooper, Democrat member from Colorado, with Peterson, Schriever and Buckley Space Force bases
Senator Roger Wicker, Republican from Mississippi, home to Stennis Space Center
Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat from Washington, with Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin and Boeing operations.
Key Highlights
- The United States is in a space race with China. Both nations have disclosed plans to land on the Moon and develop a permanent presence. The United States plans to land during the Artemis III mission in 2027, though future funding and missions are increasingly tentative. China plans to land by 2030 and has announced it plans to jointly develop a lunar base with Russia within the decade.
- Space is a strategic frontier with direct impacts on national security and technological advancement. In turn, continuity in NASA’s programs is a matter of security, and delays or disruptions to these programs will help adversaries. Funding is critical to continuing these objectives.
- For the United States’ lunar goals, the Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule are already built, but a lunar lander remains to be developed.
Witnesses
- Mr. Allen Cutler, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration
- Mr. Michael Gold, President of Civil and International Space for Redwire
- The Honorable Jim Bridenstine, Managing Partner of the Artemis Group and Former Administrator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Lieutenant General John Shaw (Ret.), Former Deputy Commander of the U.S. Space Command
Opening Statements
Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX)
In his opening statement, Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, acknowledged the critical role NASA plays in diplomacy, economic growth, and technological advancements. As such, there is strong bipartisan support for the agency in the Senate. He argued the importance of continuing funding NASA programs, for both those in the works and those in the future. Cruz also listed the United States’ lunar milestones ahead: maintaining presence in low Earth orbit, returning humans to the Moon’s surface, landing the first female astronaut on the Moon, and preparing for human missions to Mars.
“NASA is more than a symbol of national pride, it is a strategic capability that advances our economy, security, and values,” Cruz said. “America must remain the leader in space.”
Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Cantwell highlighted how space ambitions can affect geopolitical relationships here on Earth, and vice versa. She noted that the leaders of China, Russia, India, and North Korea recently met for discussions that may easily include national defense and lunar missions. Additionally, Cantwell acknowledged that China may even be on the Moon before 2030. To give the United States the best opportunity for lunar success, Cantwell argued that Congress needs to provide NASA with the budget to bring the Moon to Mars architecture to fruition.
“We don’t need another Sputnik moment,” Cantwell said. “It’s already happened.”
Witness Testimony
Mr. Allen Cutler
In his testimony, Mr. Allen Cutler emphasized the economic returns of a lunar program. Beyond the prestige of reaching the Moon, for every dollar invested in lunar programs, three dollars flow back into the U.S. economy.
“Supporting Artemis to beat China creates stronger communities,” Cutler said. “A stronger industrial base, and a stronger America. This race is not just about the Moon, it is about economic growth, global competitiveness, and national security.”
Mr. Michael Gold
Mr. Gold spoke about the importance of being first back to the Moon in his testimony. He highlighted some of the resources on the lunar surface. Discoveries of ice reserves on the Moon indicate future in-situ resource utilization for whoever can process them first. By allowing China to get to the Moon first, not only would the United States cede leadership of what is already understood about the Moon, the United States would also give up all the unknown resources on the Moon as well. As the developers of the Artemis Accords, the United States returning to the Moon first would also be a win for policy, not only technology. Gold also spoke to the low Earth orbit research advancements Redwire is making aboard the International Space Station.
“The countries and companies that control the Moon will control the Earth,” Gold said. “If we can’t move forward with Gateway, if we can’t move forward with Artemis, we will lose that future to the Chinese.”
Hon. Jim Bridenstine
Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, also a former U.S. representative from Oklahoma, argued it is likely that China will beat the United States to the Moon due to lunar mission structures. He drew parallels to the power struggles of the 20th century between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective lunar ambitions. He argued a second American victory on the Moon surface would lead the way for continued success and diplomacy in space, just as it did in the previous century. Read the full statement.
Lt. Gen. John Shaw
In his testimony, Lt. Gen. Shaw compared the “grand space strategies” of the United States and China. Whereas in China there is little distinction between civil, commercial, and national security ambitions, the United States is more segmented. China has already demonstrated progress in cislunar communications, cislunar domain awareness, and space nuclear power, all critical for a sustained lunar presence. Read the full statement.
Moon to Mars
A 2023 NASA Economic Impact Study found that the Moon to Mars program:
- Generated more than $75.6 billion in economic output across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in fiscal year 2023.
- Supported an estimated 96,479 jobs nationwide.
- Generated nearly $2.9 billion in tax revenue — about 32% of NASA’s economic impact.