Investing in Space: The U.S.-China space race is getting tighter

This is a game where, with NASA now setting sights on redder Mars pastures, the U.S. has a roughly six-decade advantage, after the success of the Apollo gram.But question marks linger over both of NASA's picks for lunar landers

SpaceX's Starship has had a tumultuous record in the year to date, which it may still vindicate in its upcoming Aug. 24 test launch

Blue Origin is meanwhile still the Mark 2 lander and only intends to test launch its precursor — the Mark 1 — later this year

Jeff Bezos' rocket that will carry the landers is itself only undergoing its second flight next month.The increasing minence of the U.S.' private firms in advancing their space activity is notable, but not singular

While much of China's space landscape is dominated by state-owned China Aerospace Science and nology Corporation, commercial players Galactic Energy, LandSpace and i-Space — not to be confused with Japan's iSpace — have also been stepping up to the plate."I believe China could beat NASA back to the Moon," f

Quentin Parker, director of the lab for space re at the University of Hong Kong, told CNBC by . "NASA's Artemis ject is facing massive delays, budget blems and leadership issues under the current administration in the US

This leaves open the distinct possibility that China could land humans back on the moon first," he added, noting China's rapid space development and "demonstrated mission capacity over the last decade in particular, including the CST and Chang'e and Tianwen missions."As with the first space race, at stake isn't just national prestige — U.S. officials and analysts have expressed concerns that China's space ambitions are inevitably linked to militarization

It hasn't been that long since the spring s of Gen

Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at the U.S

Space Force, that "the [People's Republic of China] has been what we've kind of, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web'

And it's nothing more than a network of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that vide real-time targeting quality information of our force."What's upSpace becomes the new battlefront — Hackers backing the Kremlin hijacked an orbiting satellite and beamed down footage from Russia's Victory Day parade to Ukrainian televisions — as modern warfare moves to space. — Associated PressKazakhstan's Baikonur spaceport resurges — The Astana government is looking to upgrade the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is still largely leased out to Russia, into a top-of-the-line spaceport for startups and attract foreign investment. — EuractivUK independent space agency to merge with DSIT in cost-savings push — The U.K

Space Agency will be absorbed by the Department for Science, Innovation and nology in April, amid a broader push to reduce costs and red tape. — BBCWhat is the U.S. 'orbital carrier'? — Newsweek examines the U.S

Space Force's "orbital carrier" that looks to pre-position multiple spacefaring vessels

The carrier is being designed by Seattle-based startup Gravitics. — NewsweekUranus has a (tiny) new moon — Scientists have found a new moon orbiting Uranus with a diameter of just six miles, upping the planet's observed satellite family to 29

The discovery was made with NASA's James Webb space telescope. — NASAIndustry maneuveomething old, something new — Jim Cantrell looks back at a decade of space activity between established and new players, as government and commercial industry grams increasingly join forces. — Space NewsLandSpace rocket fails test launch — LandSpace's methane Zhuque-2E Y3 rocket failed its test launch out of northwestern China

The company previously scored the spot of first firm to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket into orbit. — Reutepace startups make defense shift — Space startups are now increasingly "repositioning for the defense market," says VS Seraphim Space CEO Mark Boggett, as venture capitalists and investors focus on security and AI. — SiftedChina's Long March-10 rocket test — China's Long March-10 carrier rocket successfully saw through its first static fire test, according to the China Manned Space Agency, hitting a new milestone in Beijing's crewed lunar exploration gram. — CGTNFirefly Aerospace looks to launch Alpha rocket out of Japan — Firefly Aerospace is considering options to open its first Asian offshore launch site in Japan, from where it looks to run flights for its Alpha rocket, according to a Japanese company operating a spaceport in northern Hokkaido. — ReutersMarket moversFive space stocks with soaring upside — MarketBeat looks at five space companies with huge upside potential as the sector evolves over the next decade. — MarketBeat via MSNSpaceX prepares for next Starship launch — SpaceX has chosen Aug. 24 as the next test launch date for its giant Starship rocket, which has had an explosive record with take-offs this year to date. — Ars nicaBlue Origin's New Glenn to head out with NASA Mars bes next month — On its second-ever launch, Blue Origin's New Glenn will depart with twin NASA Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamic Explorers (ESCAPADE) bes on Sept. 29. — Space.comCan Rocket Lab go higher? — Rocket Lab has attracted investor attentions after gaining more than 70% in the past three months, while the upcoming test launch of the Neutron rocket and the company's operating costs shape its outlook. — ZacksOn the horizonAug. 21 — Kosmos' Angara 1.2 to take off with an unknown payload from Plesetsk, RussiaAug. 22 — Space X's Falcon 9 to launch the US Space Force X-37B spaceplane into low earth orbit out of FloridaAug. 22 — SpaceX's Falcon 9 to depart with Starlink satellites out of CaliforniaAug. 23 — Blue Origin's New Shepard to take off on suborbital flight out of TexasAug. 23 — Rocket Lab's Electron to launch with undisclosed satellites out of New ZealandAug. 24 — Space X's Falcon 9 to take off out of Florida and der supplies to the International Space StationAug. 24 — The China Aerospace Science and nology Corporation's Long March 8A to depart with an unknown payload out of WenchangAug. 24 — SpaceX's Starship to attempt its next test flightAug. 25 — Launch window opens for Nordspace's suborbital rocket Taiga to lift off out of CanadaAug. 27 – SpaceX's Falcon 9 to head off with Starlink satellites out of Florida