'No way, not going to happen': Acting NASA chief Duffy says China will not beat US to the Moon

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy made a fierce statement about the space agency's quest to return humans to the Moon during a press conference on Wednesday. He dismissed China's efforts to send humans to the Moon, strongly asserting that the United States will be the first country to race to the pole, leaving behind everyone else striving to do the same. Duffy said that the US will return to the Moon before China. "No way, not going to happen," Duffy said, referring to China and its program to put a man on the Moon before the US, over 50 years after the Apollo program ended. NASA had called the conference to inform the world about the discovery of the strongest signs of life on Mars in the past. The finding was published in the journal Nature. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected a sample from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater, which it said likely preserves evidence of ancient microbial life. Called “Sapphire Canyon,” this sample was taken from a rock named “Cheyava Falls” in 2024. Also Read: Has NASA found life on Mars? Social media abuzz with speculation over 'Sapphire Canyon' and upcoming announcement

China successfully tested its lunar lander "Lanyue" this year

Notably, China is racing ahead with its mission to send humans to the Moon. It is targeting a timeline before 2030 to land astronauts on the Moon. It also plans to build a research station and even a nuclear station on the lunar body. China seems to be winning the space race, as in August 2025, it successfully completed comprehensive landing and takeoff tests of its new manned lunar lander, named "Lanyue." But, Duffy reiterated NASA's commitment to win this space race and asserted that the US will get there before China. "We need to keep pushing and win this space race," Duffy said. Also Read: 600km solid core inside Mars stuns scientists - Only the third after Earth and Moon

Duffy also used the occasion to stress that NASA and President Donald Trump are committed to exploring space and sending humans to the Moon and Mars. He also dismissed any concerns about the budget allocated to NASA to carry out its missions, stating that what they have is enough. "We need science for the Moon and Mars. We can accomplish our mission with the given budget. The president loves space. He asked me about it," Duffy said. Trump had announced considerable budget cuts for NASA, raising a question mark on the future of the Artemis missions, aimed at sending humans to the moon once again.

While Duffy tried to claim a major win for Trump at the press conference, reporters continued to stump him by asking about what NASA is doing to bring back samples from Mars. This particular mission has been in jeopardy for a long time, as the initial plans had to be scrapped because of the rising costs. "I have to look at dollars, time, and return. We need to get these samples back in a better way. Resources are precious. We need to work to our best possible abilities."