Mars race

[6] However, politicians may push NASA into competition with private entities such as Boeing and SpaceX in getting humans to Mars.

Boeing is the primary contractor on the U.S. Space Launch System (SLS) NASA rocket program that has the ultimate goal of a crewed Mars mission.

[10][11][12][13] Blue Origin has stated that with its New Armstrong and New Glenn rockets, it may be attempting missions to Mars, head-to-head with the SpaceX Starship.

It is widely thought that NASA and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) are in a tacit race to put humans on Mars.

[25][26][27][28] In the 2020s, both the US and China are engaged in an effort to establish a permanent presence on the Moon, with an emphasis on the Lunar South Pole, as a proving ground and stepping stone to Mars.