China plans to land astronauts on moon before 2030, expand space station, bring on foreign partners

Officials with China's burgeoning space program say they plan to place astronauts on the moon before 2030 and expand their space station. Monday's announcement comes amid against the background of a rivalry with the U.S. for reaching new milestones in outer space that reflects their competition for influence on global events. The U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025. The deputy director of China's space agency confirmed the twin objectives at a news conference but gave no specific dates. The agency also introduced three astronauts who will head to the country's space station in a launch scheduled Tuesday. They'll replace a crew that's been on the orbiting station for six months.