Will There Be a New Space Race in 2020

For fans of space exploration, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned space race to keep that excitement burning.  Now, we’re looking to the year 2020 as multiple countries are vowing to do everything that they can to win the race.  Countries like America, Russia and China are putting their best foot forward in order to take our understanding of space travel to a whole new level.

If you’ve been following the early stages of the next space race, you probably have a prediction on who will win.  If not, we’re going to provide you with the latest developments so that you can decide for yourself who seems to have the best chance at conquering the great space race of 2020.

What is a Space Race?

A space race refers to a race between nations to achieve a new accomplishment in space exploration.  Since the 1940s, space races have been increasing public interest in space travel by allowing citizens to root for their home country.  The original space race took place between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1955, with the Soviet Union successfully beating out the United States with the Sputnik 1.

Now, a space race can become a source of national pride as it reflects the prosperity, scientific superiority and technological ingenuity of a particular nation.  It’s also an excellent tool for driving up support for space travel from citizens as its competitive nature attracts public interest.  This support typically leads to increased funding that makes incredible achievements in space travel possible.

The Space Race of 2020

The space race of 2020 is a highly anticipated event that involves a couple of new countries that have recently seen increases in budget for space travel.  This makes the race far more competitive than ever before.  While the focus of the race is on Mars, it seems that our moon is also a point of interest.

Is Mars a Realistic Destination?

If you’re an avid follower of space-related news, you know that Mars is on everyone’s mind.  Recent data shows that Mars may be more habitable than previously believed, causing several countries to develop new forms of spacecraft technology that will allow them to land on the planet and study it more than ever before.

It’s now believed that Mars is the most habitable planet after our own, inspiring countries like the United States in China to rush to develop technology that can make it livable for humans.  But first these countries must successfully land humans on Mars, hence the great race of 2020.

What the Moon has to Offer

While most eyes are on Mars, some countries are eyeing the moon since many scientists believe it’s the most habitable location outside of Earth.  Some believe that building colonies on the moon is a stepping stone to making Mars habitable in the future.  Therefore, these countries wish to first conquer the moon before exploring other planets.

The Key Players

These countries are setting the tone:

Luxembourg

Surprisingly, Luxembourg has stepped up to the plate, eager to build lunar colonies that will allow us to test technology that can later be applied to Mars.  Backed by Japanese scientists, Luxembourg has a definite chance at being the first country to successfully develop habitable colonies on the moon.

China

China is perhaps America’s largest competitor, successfully developing aircraft and other forms of technology that broaden its chances of landing humans on Mars.  They also recently developed the Lunar Palace 1, a domestic structure that allows space exploration scientists to experience an atmosphere nearly identical to the moon.

Russia

Unsurprisingly, Russia is vowing to be the first country to successfully land on Mars, stating that they will launch a mission in 2019.

The United States

The United States still has a very good chance of winning the space race thanks to the enormous budget behind Nasa and Elon Musk’s ingenuity.  Currently, it’s pretty clear that the United States has their eye on being the first to successfully land humans on Mars.

An Excited Race It Will Be

Regardless of who wins the space race of 2020, it’s clear that it will be a truly exciting moment for the entire world.