Opinion: We are in a new space race – this time, with China

Michael Byers and Aaron Boley are the authors of Who Owns Outer Space: International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space, which is shortlisted for the Donner Prize. They are professors of law and astrophysics, respectively, at the University of British Columbia. Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, has lent her name to China’s lunar exploration program. Under this divine nomenclature, a new space race is underway: Artemis, the Greek moon goddess, is the namesake of the U.S.-led lunar program, …