Due to the Challenger disaster, and being stuck as the world’s policeman – the US has not been back to the moon in 50 years. Meanwhile, China and the EU are planning to build a moon base, complete with mining and tourism.
The US is getting left in the spacedust. I am glad President Trump told the astronauts in space the other day to speed up the time frame for the first U.S. mission to Mars and to get it done in his first term if possible.