文章认为美国很可能在新一轮美中登月竞赛中落后，因为华盛顿一边要求必胜，一边削弱 NASA。2019 年曾承诺在 5 年内（到 2024 年）让美国人登月，特朗普后来又发布行政命令，要求到 2028 年“重返月球”，但政府同时促使近 4,000 名 NASA 员工离职并提出削减 24% 预算，同时反复更换领导层并与承包商发生冲突。

文中把中国的计划描绘为更稳定且能力上升。大约 18 个月前，嫦娥六号（Chang’e-6）带回约 4 磅月球背面岩石与土壤，此前中国在着陆前约 6 周部署了中继卫星。中国称嫦娥七号（Chang’e-7）将于 8 月发射，目标是首次从月球提取水，官员并称载人登月将“在 2030 年前”发射。其构想使用两枚火箭——一枚运载乘员/服务舱，另一枚运载着陆器——在月球轨道交会对接。

美国 Artemis 架构被描述为高成本、临时拼装且进度高风险。SLS/Orion 已耗费数百亿美元，只飞行过 1 次，第二次飞行安排在 2 月；Orion 更远的月球轨道每圈需要接近 1 周。NASA 向 SpaceX 授予 30 亿美元用于 Starship 衍生着陆器，但工程师估算一次任务可能需要 40 次以上 Starship 发射，因为它必须在轨道通过数十次低温推进剂转移（≤ –161°C）进行加注，且加注测试已从 2023 年推迟到 2026 年。一些估算认为每次 SLS 发射成本最高可达 40 亿美元，而国会在削减机构的同时又为 SLS、Orion 与 Gateway 追加 70 亿美元。

The piece argues the US is on track to lose a renewed US–China moon race because Washington is degrading NASA while demanding victory. After a 2019 promise to land Americans in five years (by 2024), Trump later issued an executive order to “get back to the moon” by 2028, yet the administration also pushed nearly 4,000 NASA employees to quit and proposed a 24% budget cut, while repeatedly changing leadership and clashing with contractors.

China’s program is portrayed as steadier and increasingly capable. About 18 months ago, Chang’e-6 returned about 4 pounds of far-side lunar rocks and soil, after China placed a relay satellite roughly six weeks before the landing. China says Chang’e-7 will launch in August and aims to be the first to extract water from the moon, and officials say a crewed lunar landing will launch “before 2030.” The concept uses two rockets—one for the crew/service capsule and one for a lander—to rendezvous in lunar orbit.

The US Artemis architecture is depicted as costly, improvised, and schedule-risky. SLS/Orion has cost tens of billions, flown once, and has a second flight set for February; Orion’s farther lunar orbit takes nearly a week per circuit. NASA awarded SpaceX $3 billion for a Starship-derived lander, but engineers estimate one mission could need 40+ Starship launches because it must refuel in orbit via dozens of cryogenic transfers (≤ –161°C), with refueling tests slipping from 2023 to 2026. Some estimates put each SLS launch at up to $4 billion, even as Congress adds $7 billion for SLS, Orion, and Gateway while cutting the agency.