How the Aitken Basin is Rewriting the Rules of Space Governance and Dominance on Earth
Introduction
The race to the Moon has returned, but this time the competition is focused on the South Pole of the Moon (The Aitken Basin, SPA). During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in the original “space race,” using space exploration to prove technological superiority and establish power. This rivalry led to important achievements such as Sputnik (Russia) and the Apollo 11 (United States) landing on the moon in 1969. Today, a new space race has emerged between the United States and China, with both countries investing heavily in lunar missions and advanced space technology to try and reach new heights in space exploration.
The Aitken Basin has become the centre of attention because of its scientific and strategic importance.
This crater is thought to have been formed approximately 4 billion years ago (Vogel, T. NASA, 2024). Located on the far side of the Moon near the south pole, it is one of the oldest and largest impact craters in the Solar System. Scientists believe the region holds valuable resources, including water ice and helium-3, which could potentially be used as a future clean energy source. Helium-3 is an extremely valuable but exceptionally rare isotope, soaring in demand for technologies such as quantum computing, medical imaging, nuclear detection, as the energy source to power artificial intelligence computing needs, and potentially fusion energy (a clean energy source), yet only a few kilograms are produced globally each year (with a single kilogram costing around $20 million) as a by-product of nuclear weaponry (Andrews, R.G, Scientific American, 2026). These discoveries make the area important for future exploration and possible human settlement.
However, the competition is more than scientific discovery. It also involves political influence, technological dominance, economic control, and international recognition. The South Pole of the Moon has also inspired conspiracy theories about aliens because it remained hidden from Earth for ages, although there is no scientific evidence supporting these ideas. Although on the surface the United States and China present lunar exploration as scientific progress, their race for the South Pole is also a struggle for global power and influence in the future of space exploration.
The Scientific Importance of the Aitken Basin
The South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA) is scientifically valuable because it may reveal important information about the origins of the Moon and the wider Solar System. Formed more than 4 billion years ago after a massive asteroid collision, the basin is one of the largest and deepest impact craters in the Solar System. Scientists believe that the impact was so powerful that it exposed material from deep beneath the Moon’s surface, possibly even from the lunar mantle. Studying these ancient rocks could help researchers better understand how the Moon formed and how planetary bodies developed during the early stages of the Solar System.
This scientific importance has made the region a major target for both China and the United States.
China achieved a historic milestone in 2019 when the Chang’e-4 mission became the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon (Martina, M. 2019). More recently, the Chang’e-6 mission successfully returned samples from the Aitken Basin, giving scientists rare materials to analyse. These materials include pigeonite (Li, C. et al. 2024), which is a rare mineral only found on Earth in specific cooling conditions of volcanic rock. Meanwhile, the United States is preparing the Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the lunar surface (and on the south pole for the first time) for the first time since the Apollo era. NASA hopes these missions will allow humans to explore the region directly and prepare for long-term lunar exploration (NASA. 2020b).
Another reason why the basin is so important is because of the resources believed to exist there.
Scientists think permanently shadowed craters near the south pole may contain frozen water ice that has survived for billions of years (Gasparini, A. and Wasser, M. 2025). This water could provide
drinking supplies for astronauts and also be split into hydrogen and oxygen to create rocket fuel, and an energy source for artificial intelligence in the future, making future space missions more sustainable. In addition, the Moon’s surface may contain helium-3, a rare isotope that is extremely scarce on Earth but could potentially be used in future nuclear fusion reactors as a clean energy source. As straightforward as finding helium-3 might be, extracting it could prove much harder. “It’s like trying to mine spray paint from a wall,” Sara Russell, a planetary scientist at London’s Natural History Museum says (Andrews, R.G, Scientific American, 2026). As of 2026, no one has attempted the extraction of helium-3 from the lunar surface. However, when the isotope is eventually harvested from the Moon, the country to do so will be at an immense economic advantage. That is, of course, if its fusion will actually prove to be a clean energy source. Although scientific discovery is a major motivation behind lunar exploration, these resources also give the region enormous economic and strategic importance.
Power, Politics, and Global Dominance
The race to the Moon (SPA) is not only about scientific discovery but also a political contest for international influence and global leadership. Much like the Cold War Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, today’s competition between China and the United States reflects a struggle for recognition, technological superiority, and strategic advantage. The Moon has become a powerful symbol of national achievement, demonstrating a country’s ability to develop advanced technologies and undertake complex space missions. China has made remarkable progress in recent years, establish its own space station, conducting successful lunar exploration missions, and announcing plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 (all part of the Chang’e program). In response, the United States has launched the Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon while building strong international partnerships through the Artemis Accords, a framework that has been joined by many nations (NASA, 2020a). By securing allies and promoting shared rules for exploration, the United States hopes to maintain its leadership role in space, while China looks to expand its influence through its own ambitious lunar projects and partnerships.
Beyond prestige, both countries recognise that constructing lunar infrastructure could provide significant strategic advantages. Control over landing sites, research stations, and transport networks may allow nations to influence future mining operations, space travel routes, and international scientific cooperation. As interest grows in extracting valuable resources from the Moon, countries are increasingly aware that early investment could provide long-term benefits, especially to the future power that they could hold. These resources could be converted into drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel, making the region strategically important for future lunar settlements and deep-space missions (NASA, 2023).
At the same time, there are concerns that growing competition may contribute to the militarisation of space. Since satellites already play a crucial role in communication, navigation, surveillance, and defence, nations fear being left behind in a domain that is becoming increasingly important for national security. This has led to discussions about “space hegemony,” the idea that the nation with the strongest presence on the Moon may dictate the rules and norms governing future space activities.
The strategic value of the basin was further highlighted in 2024 when China’s Chang’e-6 mission became the first in history to return samples from the far side of the Moon, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of material from the Aitken Basin (Computer Network Information Centre of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2024). Such achievements not only strengthen a nation’s scientific capabilities but also enhance its international influence and technological reputation.
Furthermore, successful lunar missions generate significant soft power by boosting national pride, showcasing technological excellence, and inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers.
Both the United States’ Artemis program and China’s Chang’e program demonstrate how lunar exploration has become a platform for projecting leadership and building international partnerships.
As a result, the Moon has become far more than a scientific destination. In fact, it is now a geopolitical battlefield where influence, leadership, and prestige are being contested, making lunar exploration a key part of twenty-first-century global competition.
Economic Competition and Future Resources
Economic interests are another major reason why China and the United States are competing for the lunar south pole and the SPA. Although lunar mining remains largely theoretical, many scientists and governments believe the Moon could become an important source of valuable resources. One of the most significant is water ice, which has been detected in permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole (NASA, 2020a). As mentioned before, the helium isotope, helium-3, could be used to create clean energy via nuclear fusion. The country who first harvests it and figures out how to fuse its nuclei will be the one who distributes it across other countries. This places them at a major economic advantage. Although the commercial value of these resources remains uncertain, their potential has encouraged major space powers to establish an early presence in the region.
The SPA is also important because future lunar bases could support missions beyond the Moon.
Permanent bases could act as refuelling stations and research centres for missions to Mars and other destinations in deep space. Some experts have also suggested that the Moon could become a centre for space manufacturing due to its weaker gravity (NASA, 2022). These possibilities have contributed to growing interest in a future economy in which economic activity extends beyond Earth.
The approaches taken by China and the United States reflect their different political systems. NASA works closely with private companies such as SpaceX to develop lunar technologies, while China follows a more government-led model. Despite these differences, both countries recognise that establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon could provide significant economic advantages, including technological leadership, access to resources, and influence over future space infrastructure.
However, growing competition raises important legal and ethical questions. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty states that no nation can claim ownership of the Moon, yet it provides limited guidance on how lunar resources should be managed (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 2024). As a result, countries continue to compete for influence in the region. Some experts warn that this competition could increase tensions between major powers, while others argue that international cooperation would allow humanity to share the costs and benefits of lunar exploration more effectively.
Ultimately, the race to the South Pole–Aitken Basin is driven not only by scientific curiosity but also by the belief that lunar resources and infrastructure may become valuable assets in the future global economy.
Conclusion
The South Pole–Aitken Basin has become one of the most important locations in modern space exploration because of both its scientific and strategic significance. The region may contain water ice that could support future astronauts, while its ancient rocks and geological material provide a unique opportunity to learn more about the formation of the Moon and the early Solar System. The possibility of valuable resources such as helium-3 has also increased interest in the area, as it could potentially contribute to future energy production and economic development.
At the same time, the growing competition between China and the United States is about much more than scientific discovery. Both countries see the Moon as an opportunity to strengthen their political
influence, demonstrate technological superiority, gain economic advantages, and enhance national prestige. Through programs such as Artemis and Chang’e, they are not only exploring the lunar surface but also positioning themselves to play a leading role in the future of space exploration. The outcome of this competition may help determine who shapes the rules, infrastructure, and opportunities that will exist beyond Earth in the decades ahead.
The basin has also inspired fascination and speculation among the public. Although there is no scientific evidence to support theories about extraterrestrial activity on the Moon, these ideas reflect humanity’s long-standing curiosity about the unknown and our desire to explore new frontiers.
The race to the Moon’s south pole is not simply about reaching another world, but about deciding who will lead the next chapter of human civilisation beyond Earth.
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Abstract
The renewed race to the Moon has placed the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin at the centre of competition between China and the United States. This paper examines why the region has become a major focus of modern space exploration, arguing that the contest extends beyond scientific research to encompass geopolitical influence, economic opportunity, and technological leadership.
The SPA Basin is one of the oldest and largest impact structures in the Solar System and may contain geological evidence that could improve understanding of the Moon’s formation and the early evolution of planetary bodies. In addition, permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole are believed to contain water ice, while the lunar surface may hold significant quantities of helium-3, a rare isotope with potential applications in future nuclear fusion energy.
The paper analyses how these scientific and resource-related opportunities have intensified competition between the United States’ Artemis Program and China’s Chang’e Program. It also explores the strategic importance of establishing lunar infrastructure, the role of international partnerships, and the legal challenges surrounding resource extraction under existing space law.
Ultimately, the study concludes that the race to the SPA Basin represents not only a quest for scientific discovery but also a broader struggle to shape the future political, economic, and technological landscape of space exploration.
