Author: Art Cotterell, Research Associate, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University

In recent years, a new “space race” has intensified between the United States and China. At a campaign rally last weekend, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump invoked this rivalry when declaring the US will “lead the world in space”, echoing Democratic counterpart Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, the president of China, Xi Jinping, has said becoming “a space power is our eternal dream”. But what is this latest “race” about, and are there pathways to common ground? History suggests these do exist. As a space governance specialist, I argue our future depends on it. The ‘race’ to the Moon Lunar…