Moon Water Race Heats Up as US and China Target Shackleton Crater
The US and China are racing to extract water ice from Shackleton crater to enable a sustained lunar presence and in-space fuel production; Blue Origin is testing its MK1 cargo lander in a demonstration flight this year to support NASA’s VIPER rover in 2027, while China’s Chang’e 7 will deliver an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper to Shackleton, potentially giving Beijing a head start in lunar resource extraction and setting standards for a new space-race economy.